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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:55:06 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/19167-h.zip b/19167-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..6004a2c --- /dev/null +++ b/19167-h.zip diff --git a/19167-h/19167-h.htm b/19167-h/19167-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..77ff06c --- /dev/null +++ b/19167-h/19167-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4461 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Billy Whiskers, The Autobiography of a Goat, by Frances Trego Montgomery + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + a[name] { position:absolute; } + a:link {color:#0000ff; background-color:#FFFFFF; + text-decoration:none; } + a:visited {color:#0000ff; background-color:#FFFFFF; + text-decoration:none; } + a:hover { color:#ff0000; background-color:#FFFFFF; } + + table { width:80%; padding: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + .tocch { text-align: right; vertical-align: top;} + .tocpg {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;} + .tr {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-top: 5%; margin-bottom: 5%; padding: 2em; background-color: #f6f2f2; color: black; border: solid black 1px;} + .f1 { font-size: smaller; } + + img { display: block; } + + .img1 {border-style:groove; border-color:#FF0000; border-width: 2px; } + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + font-style:normal; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + + .caption {font-weight: bold; + font-size: smaller; + } + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figcenter { margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft { float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em; padding-bottom: 0em; } + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; +margin-right: 0em; padding-bottom: 0em; } + + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Billy Whiskers, by Frances Trego Montgomery + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Billy Whiskers + The Autobiography of a Goat + +Author: Frances Trego Montgomery + +Illustrator: W. H. Fry + +Release Date: September 3, 2006 [EBook #19167] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY WHISKERS *** + + + + +Produced by Brian Janes, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="pic_2" id="pic_2"></a> +<img class="img1" src="images/image_001.jpg" width="500" height="622" alt=""LOOK HERE, THAT IS MY GOAT!" See p. 92" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"LOOK HERE, THAT IS MY GOAT!" See <a href="#Page_92">p. 92</a></span></div> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_002.jpg" width="600" height="343" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<h1>BILLY <br /> +WHISKERS</h1> + + +<h3>THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A GOAT</h3> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<h3>by</h3> +<p> </p> +<h2>Frances Trego Montgomery</h2> + +<p> </p> +<h2>Illustrated by W. H. Fry</h2> +<p> </p> + +<h3>Saalfield Publishing Company,</h3> +<h3>Akron, Ohio,</h3> +<h3>1902.</h3> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a><i>CONTENTS</i></h2> + + + + + + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 100px;"> +<img src="images/image_004.jpg" width="100" height="427" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<table summary="Contents"> +<tr><td></td><td class="tocpg f1">PAGE</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tocpg"> </td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Mr_Wagner_Buys_a_Goat">Mr. Wagner Buys a Goat</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_Whiskers_Makes_Trouble">Billy Whiskers Makes Trouble</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_16">16</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_at_the_Soda_Fountain">Billy at the Soda Fountain</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_Gives_the_Boys_a_Ducking_in_the_Mill_Pond">Billy Gives the Boys a Ducking in the Mill Pond</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_32">32</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billys_Adventures_in_Town">Billy's Adventures in Town</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_Has_a_Ride_in_the_Police_Patrol_Wagon">Billy Has a Ride in the Police Patrol Wagon</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_45">45</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_Joins_the_Fire_Patrol">Billy Joins the Fire Patrol</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_51">51</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_and_Nanny_Get_into_Mischief">Billy and Nanny Get into Mischief</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_65">65</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_and_Nanny_Are_Married">Billy and Nanny Are Married</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_As_a_Performer_in_the_Circus">Billy As a Performer in the Circus</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_and_the_Snakes">Billy and the Snakes</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><a href="#What_Billy_Did_on_Sunday"><span class="smcap">What Billy Did on Sunday</span></a></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_109">109</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#What_Billy_Did_on_Monday">What Billy Did on Monday</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_119">119</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#What_Billy_Did_on_Tuesday">What Billy Did on Tuesday</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_124">124</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#What_Billy_Did_on_Wednesday">What Billy Did on Wednesday</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#What_Billy_Did_on_Thursday">What Billy Did on Thursday</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_136">136</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#What_Billy_Did_on_Friday">What Billy Did on Friday</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_145">145</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#Billy_Finds_Nanny">Billy Finds Nanny</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#Page_152">152</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a><i>ILLUSTRATIONS</i></h2> + + +<div class="figright" style="width: 100px;"> +<img src="images/image_005.jpg" width="100" height="313" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> +<table summary="Illustrations"> +<tr><td></td><td class="tocpg f1">PAGE</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tocpg"> </td> +</tr> +<tr><td><a href="#pic_2">"<span class="smcap">Look Here, That Is My Goat!</span>"</a></td> +<td class="tocpg"><i><a href="#pic_2">Frontispiece</a></i></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#pic_1">In Two Minutes, He Had Sent the Dog Flying over the Fence.</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#pic_1">14</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#pic_3">The Italian Was So Horrified and Dismayed To See What Had Happened That He Forgot What Little English He Knew.</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#pic_3">40</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#pic_4">This Called Forth a Shout Of Glee from the Policemen Who Were Looking over the Fence.</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#pic_4">60</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#pic_5">The Farmer Stopped to See What All the Row Was About.</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#pic_5">122</a></td> +</tr> +<tr><td><span class="smcap"><a href="#pic_6">"Oh, My! Look at This Queer-looking Goat with Three Horns. Don't He Look Fierce?"</a></span></td> +<td class="tocpg"><a href="#pic_6">149</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 800px;"><a name="Mr_Wagner_Buys_a_Goat" id="Mr_Wagner_Buys_a_Goat"></a> +<img src="images/image_006_01.jpg" width="800" height="319" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> +<img src="images/image_006_02.jpg" width="153" height="275" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p><br /> + <span class="smcap">r. Wagner</span> lived about two miles from a small town, and he + thought it would be nice for his boys to have a little goat cart, + so they could drive into town for mail and do errands for the + family.</p> +<p>Without saying anything to his family, he appeared one evening +leading a nice, docile looking, long-bearded Billy goat, hitched +to a beautiful new red wagon.</p> + +<p>Of course, the boys were wild with delight, and their mother +disgusted, for she predicted that he would be more bother than he +was worth, and would eat up all the things in the garden. They +answered her that they would take good care that he never got +loose, and that no wrong would happen, if she would only<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> let +them keep the goat. So with many misgivings she gave her consent, +and Billy was led to the stable behaving like a lamb.</p> + +<p>The boys christened him Billy Whiskers immediately, on account of +his long white beard. It being a warm night, they tied him near a +shed, so if it rained he could go under it for protection, and +giving him some grass and a bucket of water, they went to bed to +dream of the fun they were going to have the next day with Billy +Whiskers.</p> + +<p>It was five hours later when Billy awakened from his first long +sleep, and feeling refreshed, thought he would take a look +around. It was bright moonlight, and as all the lights were out +in the house, he knew he would not be disturbed, for when he went +to a new place he did not like to be interfered with when he made +his first explorations, and he always preferred making them at +night, and alone. You will no doubt think that he could not +explore much, tied to a short rope, but if you think the rope +made any difference you do not know the ways of an educated goat, +and Billy had no Kindergarten education either, but a regular +High School training in that respect.</p> + +<p>He turned, and taking the rope in his mouth as he had done many +times before, he quietly and peacefully chewed it until it fell +apart, and then with a kick of his heels, and a wink<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> at the +house, he went toward the garden. From this direction the evening +breeze was wafting to his nostrils sweet odors of dew-sprinkled +lettuce and tender beet tops.</p> + +<p>He ate up all the lettuce, or at least all the choice heads, and +what beets he did not eat, he stepped on. Then he walked across +the flower beds, and trampled down all the flowers, in a short +cut to the pump, for he was getting thirsty.</p> + +<p>On his way to the pump he thought he saw a man coming down the +road, so he hurried along and went up on the veranda of the house +to stand in the shadow until the man went by, for he knew that +men often interfere with a goat's pleasure, even if it is only a +moonlight stroll.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_009.jpg" width="400" height="634" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>The man having passed, he walked around the veranda trying every +now and then to look in at the window to see what kind of a house +his new master had. At last he came to the front door and he +could not help trying to taste the bell knob, it looked so much +like a knob of salt in the moonlight. To be sure he knew that it +was not salt, but it did look so good to eat, and he had often +eaten things before that were not down on the diet list of a +goat, so he took another chew but, horrors! what was that! There +was a terrible ringing and clanging in the house,—it sounded +like a fire bell; and the next<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> minute Mr. Wagner stuck his head +out of the window and wanted to know who was there. Of course +there was no answer, and Billy stood as still as possible to +listen and see what Mr. Wagner would do next; then he walked to +the edge of the porch, and heard Mr. Wagner say, "Who is there? +Can't you answer, or are you deaf and dumb, or drunk?"</p> + +<p>Still no response, and Billy walked back and gave another lick at +the bell, which immediately gave another loud ring. Mr. Wagner +drew his head in, and Billy heard<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> him say, "I'll come down and +break your stupid head for you, wakening people up this time of +the night!" When Billy heard this, he thought that it was time to +go, so he scooted around the house, and went and laid down by his +rope, just as if he were still tied and had not stirred a peg.</p> + +<p>Mr. Wagner opened the door, and finding no one there, walked +around the house holding a candle over his head to see if some +drunken tramp had not rung the bell. He thought that he heard +steps on the veranda as he came to the door, but no one was in +sight only Billy Whiskers, apparently asleep by the shed.</p> + +<p>"Hello! Billy old fellow, how are you getting along? Seen anyone +around here lately?"</p> + +<p>But Billy only blinked and laughed in his skin to see Mr. Wagner +prancing around in his night-shirt, with the tallow from the +candle dropping on his bald head.</p> + +<p>Mr. Wagner went in and was about to get into bed, when he thought +he saw in the moonlight a figure come out of the shed and go +toward the house. The moon went under a cloud just at that minute +and was hid from sight, so he kept still, straining his eyes to +see and his ears to hear. He heard the chain rattle on the bucket +at the well.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh! ho!" he thought, "the tramp thinks that I have gone to bed, +and that he will get a drink, and then prowl around some more. +Well, we will see. I will just get my shot gun and fire a shot to +scare him, if he does not answer."</p> + +<p>So grabbing his gun, which always stood by the window loaded for +use, he called out again:</p> + +<p>"Who is there? Speak, or I'll shoot!"</p> + +<p>As the words left his mouth, an object started on a run from the +well, and Mr. Wagner fired, not stopping to see what it was, but +supposing it to be a man. Just then the moon sailed from under +the cloud, and there in the moonlight lay poor Billy Whiskers +stunned and nearly frightened to death with a flesh wound in his +side. When Mr. Wagner saw what he had done, and that it was only +the goat, he pulled down the window, and went to bed, too mad to +even go to see if the goat was dead or not.</p> + +<p>The next morning Billy was as lively as ever, only a little faint +from loss of blood and rather subdued. The children bathed his +wound with witch hazel, and after a good breakfast, he was as +well as ever, and ready for play or work.</p> + +<p>Of course Mrs. Wagner said, "I told you so," several times, only +varying it with, "Yes, you just wait and see, that goat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> will get +into more trouble than he is worth, just see if he won't."</p> + +<p>When she said this, she did not know of the midnight meal off her +nice lettuce he had had in the garden.</p> + +<p>Billy did not get into much mischief during the remainder of the +day, except chewing up the dish-rags which were hung on the lilac +bush to dry, and all the flowers off the oleander.</p> + +<p>The next day was his unlucky day, maybe because it was Friday. It +happened in this way, Mr. Wagner had some extra nice strawberries, +which he had taken special pains to pick and fix up, intending to +send them to a friend in town. He told the boys that they could +take the goat cart and drive into town, with the berries and some +nice lettuce for his friend, and get the mail on the way back.</p> + +<p>The boys were delighted at the prospect of driving Billy in the +new cart. They packed the things in nicely, and hitching Billy +up, drove out of the lane in fine style, on a fast trot. +Everything went well until half-way to town, when Jimmy Brown +sicked his dog on the goat, and then the trouble commenced.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="pic_1" id="pic_1"></a> +<img class="img1" src="images/image_034.jpg" width="500" height="650" alt="IN TWO MINUTES, HE HAD SENT THE DOG FLYING OVER THE FENCE." title="IN TWO MINUTES, HE HAD SENT THE DOG FLYING OVER THE FENCE." /> +<span class="caption">IN TWO MINUTES, HE HAD SENT THE DOG FLYING OVER THE FENCE.</span> +</div> + +<p>Billy Whiskers made a plunge for the dog, missed him, but gave +the cart a quick jerk, which spilled the boys and the berries out +in great shape, and then the scrimmage began. The boys<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> went for +Jimmy Brown, and the goat for the dog, dragging the overturned +cart with him, and in two minutes, he had sent the dog flying +over the fence, with his sharp horns. He then proceeded to walk +quietly back to where the strawberries and lettuce were lying in +the road, and commenced eating them, as if nothing had happened +at all. All this time the boys were pulling each other's hair, +and rolling over in the dust, in a regular pitched battle. Billy +having eaten all he cared for, walked off and lay down in the +shade to rest, still dragging the cart after him. He was just +losing himself in sleep, when he was jerked to his feet in a +hurry; the cart was straightened; and before he knew what he was +about, he was being driven toward home as fast as his legs could +go, and from the conversation he learned that they had taken +their departure so hurriedly because they had seen Jimmy's big +brother coming down the road, and they did not care to stop and +fight him too. Arriving at home, with dirty, bloody faces; +clothes torn, and no letter of thanks from the people the berries +had been sent to, the boys were afraid to go in so they decided +that the best plan would be to cry and howl and limp, as if they +were nearly dead, to excite their mother's sympathy; so that she +would be too frightened to scold them. They made the small holes +larger in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> their clothes, rubbed a little more dirt on their +faces, and squeezed a little more blood out of their scratches; +and screaming at the top of their voices, they drove into the +lane. The ruse was a success, for first came Kate, the cook, to +see what was the matter; then John, the hired man; and last +mother and father, from out of the garden where they had been +examining the damages which Billy had done two nights before.</p> + +<p>All mother said was, "That goat has to be sold, Silas Wagner, I +told you that trouble would come when you brought that long +whiskered animal home."</p> + +<p>And the next day the goat was sold.</p> +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_014.jpg" width="600" height="133" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_Whiskers_Makes_Trouble" id="Billy_Whiskers_Makes_Trouble"></a> +<img src="images/image_015_01.jpg" width="790" height="231" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> +<img src="images/image_015_02.jpg" width="150" height="201" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p><span class="smcap">he</span> day after Billy Whiskers was sold to the Biggses he was shut +in a small yard to keep him out of mischief. Feeling lonesome, he +thought that he would jump the fence and look around a little. He +was getting cross-eyed looking through the palings of the fence +which were very close together, so suiting the action to the +thought, he vaulted over the fence, landing in a kettle of +scarlet dye, that had been left there to cool. When he got out of +the kettle the fore-part of him was scarlet, and the hind, white, +but he did not mind that, so after shaking the drops from his +eyes and beard, he was as ready to explore as if nothing had +happened.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_016.jpg" width="400" height="516" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Seeing the kitchen door open, he went up the steps softly and +looked in. He could see no one in the kitchen, and smelling some +nice sweet-cakes, which had just been taken out of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> oven and +placed on the table, he walked cautiously across the floor and +began to eat them. From the floor he could only reach a few, so +he mounted a chair, and from that stepped onto the table. As he +did so, he stepped into a large loaf cake with frosting on it. +While kicking that off, and licking the frosting off his feet, he +caught sight of a nice red apple that one of the children had put +on a small shelf for safe keeping. This he quickly packed away +where moth and rust doth not corrupt. Hearing some noise, he was +about to get off the table, when raising his head, he faced +another goat. But this goat must have come from the infernal +regions for in all his life he had never seen such a villainous +looking fellow. Billy was no coward, so he backed off as far as +the table would allow, and then butted forward as hard as he +could. A crash! a bang! and the other goat was upon him, and they +both rolled off the table.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> + +<p>Where had the other goat disappeared when he had butted him, and +what was this thing around his neck? A looking-glass frame, with +little pieces of glass sticking in it. Backing out of the frame, +Billy went in pursuit of the other goat; for he did not know that +it was his own image he had butted in the kitchen looking-glass. +Seeing a dark hall-way, he went boldly in, and walked on toward a +light he saw at the other end. Arriving there, he found that the +light came from a window in the parlor. He marched in, still +looking for his rival, but soon forgot him in gazing at the +things in the room, especially a fancy basket of fruit under a +glass cover. Now Billy was very partial to fruit of all kinds, so +he upset the marble-top table the basket was setting on and out +rolled all the luscious looking fruit. He bit into a rosy cheeked +peach, but of all fruit he had ever eaten, this was the most +tasteless and tough. It stuck to his teeth so he could not +separate his upper jaw from his lower. Just then he heard voices, +and some one say:</p> + +<p>"Susie, I heard a terrible crash down stairs. You had better run +down and see what it was. You may have left the kitchen door open +and the cat possibly came in and upset something."</p> + +<p>Then he heard Susie say, "All right, Mum."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> + +<p>He thought that if anyone was coming down he had better get out +so he started on a run, but the door at the end of the hall had +blown shut, and the only other way of escape was up the front +stairs. As he reached the top, he saw Susie who had been +scrubbing the top of the back stairs, throw down her brush, +preparatory to going to see what the noise was. They both caught +sight of each other at the same moment, and Susie thought the +long, sinister looking, scarlet-bearded face with the horns, that +appeared at the top of the stairs, was the devil; and with a +blood-curdling scream she threw up her hands and rolled to the +foot of the stairs, upsetting the pail of suds that she had +clutched when she felt herself falling. There she lay too +frightened to move, but Billy rushed on trying to find a way out +for he commenced to feel that there would be trouble if he were +found.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Biggs, hearing Susie scream, rushed to the door with her +mouth full of tacks, and a hammer in her hand, just in time to +get butted into by Billy, which laid her flat on her back in less +time than you can wink. As luck would have it, the shock made her +open her mouth and the tacks flew out for if she had swallowed +them she would never have gotten off her back.</p> + +<p>Billy Whiskers gave her one look when he saw what he had done, +and turned and fled back down the stairs, and out the front<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> door +between the legs of Mr. Biggs who was just coming in, and Billy +being a big goat, and Mr. Biggs a short, stout man, there was not +much room to go through, but it was the first daylight Billy had +seen, so he gave Mr. Biggs a boost as he straddled his back, +which helped him to fall off, over the side of the porch where he +landed in a nice soft bed of geraniums.</p> + +<p>As Billy was a knowing goat, he decided that they would not care +for him after what had happened, nor look for him if he +disappeared, so seeing the front gate open, he ran out and +trotted down the road and that was the last that was heard of +him. His surmises were right. The Biggses never even looked for +him.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_019.jpg" width="600" height="77" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_at_the_Soda_Fountain" id="Billy_at_the_Soda_Fountain"></a> +<img src="images/image_020_01.jpg" width="790" height="261" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 178px;"> +<img src="images/image_020_02.jpg" width="178" height="274" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">fter</span> Billy Whiskers had left Mr. Biggs, he trotted slowly down +the road wondering where he would get his next meal for he well +knew he would never dare go back to Mr. Biggses after upsetting +him in the geranium bed and causing all the mischief he had there +that day. But being a goat of a cheerful frame of mind and used +to looking out for himself, he did not worry much, and decided he +would enter the first garden he came to, and make a free lunch +off the vegetables, or go into a turnip patch and feast on them +for if there was anything he doted on it was nice, sweet turnips, +fresh from the fields.</p> + +<p>He had gone some distance, and no patch or garden appearing that +was not enclosed by a high, barbed-wire fence, he commenced to +get discouraged. Feeling hungry and thirsty he was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> about wishing +he had behaved himself at Mr. Biggses so he could go back, when +he came to a turn in the road and there before him stood a frame +building, with the door open and over the door a large picture of +a white Polar bear sitting on a cake of ice, drinking a foaming +glass of soda-water, while in a circle round him sat little +bears, each with a glass of something cool to drink.</p> + +<p>"This is just the place I have been looking for," thought Billy, +"where thirsty animals can get a drink." So in he walked, much to +the fright of a party of picnickers, who were sitting around a +little table drinking soda-water and lemonade, and eating +ice-cream.</p> + +<p>The man at the soda fountain on seeing Billy was so surprised +that he forgot to turn off the fizz he was putting into a glass +of soda he was mixing, and it foamed up and ran up his sleeve and +all over everything.</p> + +<p>This caused the young people to laugh, which made the young man +behind the counter mad. He picked up a bottle of ginger-ale and +pretended to throw it at Billy, but alas for his intentions! He +raised it too high; it hit a large bottle of syrup that stood on +a shelf behind him, breaking both bottles at the same time, and +instead of hurting Billy, he got a sticky bath of syrup and a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> +shower of ginger in his own eyes. This was adding insult to +injury, he thought, and this last mishap turned the laughter of +the crowd into a scream of merriment which did not lessen his +anger in the least. He grabbed a broom that stood near by and +jumping over the counter went for Billy, who all this time had +been standing still, doing nothing but looking at the man and +waiting for him to give him a drink of some kind.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_022.jpg" width="400" height="486" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>When Billy saw the man jump over the counter with the broom, he +knew he was after him but at the same time he made up his mind +that he would not leave that store until he had had a drink of +something,—man or no man.</p> + +<p>So when the man made a lunge at him with the broom, Billy made a +quick rush at the man and planted his head in the middle of the +fellow's stomach sending him sprawling on the floor where he +landed in the midst of a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> shower of tooth-brushes he had upset as +he flew by the show cases.</p> + +<p>This catastrophe frightened the girls and boys who had been +sitting sipping soda and laughing at the man, and there was a mad +scramble to get out but Billy was too quick for them. He wheeled +round and butted the tail end of one fellow's coat so hard that +it sent him flying clear through the open door and out into the +road where he landed in a mud-puddle.</p> + +<p>Then he turned and went for the girls who were all huddled +together against the wall, screaming and crying with fright. He +walked up to them. As they saw him coming, they thought their +time had come and threw up their hands to cover their eyes and +screamed harder than ever. But he only took a bunch of green wax +grapes off the hat of one of the girls and commenced to chew it, +and he would have left them alone but one of the boys who was +with them came to their rescue and tried to drive Billy away by +giving him a hard blow with a chair he had picked up. This +infuriated Billy and he gave the whole bunch of girls a butt and +then turned and went for the boy, who was holding the chair high +over his head ready to strike. Billy stuck his long horns into +the boy's chest and laid him flat on the floor in an instant. +Then he walked up on him and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> planted his two feet on his breast +while he lowered his head, licking the boy's face all over with +his tongue. This made the boy furious but he could do nothing as +the goat was heavy, and with his weight on his chest he thought +he would smother.</p> + +<p>By that time the soda-fountain man had recovered his breath and +came at Billy again with his broom raised ready to strike. Billy +saw him coming and left the boy he was standing on, and ran +behind one of the tables. Then the chase began; round and round +the tables and chairs went the goat with the man after him, +upsetting everything as they went, until the store looked as if a +cyclone had struck it, with the foaming soda-water and ice-cream +running all over the floor.</p> + +<p>When Billy thought he had tired the soda man out he ran out the +door and sent those that were standing there scattering like a +flock of chickens. All you could see for a while were blue +stockings, black stockings, white petticoats and heels as the +girls ran screaming in all directions. Each girl thought Billy +was behind her, but was too afraid to turn round to look, so kept +running until she had reached a place of safety, either climbing +a fence or getting behind something; and then when she turned to +look there was no Billy Goat in sight, for Mr. Billy had +disappeared in a small grove behind the store.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span></p> + +<p>After Billy had left them he went on through the woods until he +came to a little shanty with a small clearing behind it, where +cabbages, turnips and such things were planted, and as the gate +was open he walked in and began to help himself for he saw at a +glance that everything was shut up tight and that there was no +one at home.</p> + +<p>After eating all he wanted he walked up to the porch where he saw +a nice pail of water. This he drank in a twinkle and while doing +so thought of that mean soda-water man who would not give him a +drink.</p> + +<p>"But I don't care," thought Billy, "this tastes better, and I got +even with him anyway."</p> + +<p>Billy looked round and saw a straw-stack at the further end of +the yard and a low shed, which backed up to another shed in the +next yard. Billy noticed for the first time that there was +another house and yard adjoining the one where he was and from +there he could hear voices saying, "Good-night." Then all was +still and he walked to the straw-stack and lay down in its +shelter and was soon fast asleep.</p> + +<p>He had no idea how long he had been asleep when he heard a woman +say, in a high-pitched voice:</p> + +<p>"Rooney, I told you, you would leave that gate open once<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> too +many times and some one's cow would get in and eat up all the +cabbages; and now look, some cow or horse has been in here and +eaten and trampled down all of our nice young cabbages and +turnips. I've a mind to shake your head off, so I have!"</p> + +<p>Then the same voice raised itself and called "Tim, Tim, come here +and see what mischief has been done!"</p> + +<p>Billy lay still and looked in the direction from which he heard +the voice sound, and presently he saw a short, fat, red-headed +boy come around the corner of the house. They went to the cabbage +patch and began to replant the cabbages that he had trampled down +and not eaten, when all of a sudden the woman looked in the +direction of the straw-stack and spied Billy.</p> + +<p>"Begorry, Tim, what is that? A big white dog or what, down by the +straw-stack?" asked Mrs. Rooney.</p> + +<p>Tim looked and said: "No, mother, it is a goat. Let's drive him +out; he is the one that has done all the mischief," and as he +spoke he picked up a stone to throw at Billy.</p> + +<p>"Put down that stone and what are ye about, Tim Rooney? Don't ye +know a fine Billy goat is a nice thing to have in the family? And +it is luck he will bring us by coming to us himself. Put him in +the shed, and to-morrow you can hitch him to your cart and make +him haul the cabbages to market."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p> + +<p>Tim pulled up a bunch of nice, fresh carrots and approached +Billy. With these he induced Billy to follow him to the shed +where he locked him in for the night.</p> + +<p>After fastening Billy in, Tim went off and left Billy to take +care of himself the best he could, and he soon found a heap of +straw which he curled himself upon and was in dreamland in no +time.</p> + +<p>He had been asleep for several hours when he was awakened by a +dog barking at the moon, and he was about going off in another +nap when he thought he heard the bleating of a goat in the shed +adjoining his.</p> + +<p>He pricked up his ears to listen and sure enough he heard it +again very distinctly, and at the same time he saw a large knot +hole in the board partition that divided his shed from the +adjoining one, so he got up and went to look through it to see if +he could not see the goat he heard bleating.</p> + +<p>Into the next shed the moonlight was streaming, and lying on a +pile of straw in the light he saw a beautiful white Nanny goat, +that made his old heart palpitate with delight, he was so glad to +see one of his own tribe again.</p> + +<p>Nanny lay there unconscious of his presence; apparently bleating +in her sleep, she lay so still. As she did not move Billy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> +concluded to awaken her so he bleated "Good evening" to her. He +had only gotten half through his salutation when she jumped up +quickly as if she had been touched with an electric wire, and +looking around with a frightened stare, said:</p> + +<p>"Good gracious, how you frightened me! Who are you, and where are +you, for I see no one?"</p> + +<p>"You can't see me, but I am here all the same, at the other side +of the shed, looking at you through the knot hole. My name is +Billy Whiskers and I come from nowhere in particular and I am +bound for the same place. Now, tell me your name and the name of +the people you are living with."</p> + +<p>"My name is Nanny O'Hara and I live with a family of the same +name but I belong to their eldest son, Mike."</p> + +<p>"And does he treat you good, my fair friend?" asked Billy.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes," answered Nanny, "as well as boys generally do, but he +often makes me pull heavy loads and forgets to feed and water me +sometimes."</p> + +<p>"Oh, the brute," said Billy, "to make anyone as handsome as you +pull heavy loads. How I wish I could help you, for I am strong +and used to pulling large loads. The next time he makes you do it +just run into a tree and upset his cart, or better still, run +away altogether and find someone else to live with."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, Mr. Billy, I would not dare do either, I am so timid."</p> + +<p>"Hark, here comes some one and we must not let them hear us +talking," said Billy, "So ta-ta, I'll see you to-morrow."</p> + +<p>Sure enough they had heard some one talking. It was Tim Rooney +and his chum, Mike O'Hara, whom he was bringing to show his goat. +As they unfastened the door, Billy heard Mike say:</p> + +<p>"I tell you, Tim, what I will do if he turns out as fine a goat +as you say he is. I'll give you a dollar and a half for him."</p> + +<p>"So ye'll give me a dollar and a half, will ye? Well I like +that—a dollar and a half for the finest goat ye ever laid your +two eyes on! Not much—what do ye take me for, an idjet? I don't +want er sell but if ye'll offer injucements enough I may think +about it, for we have no cart or harness fine enough for so +handsome a goat as this one."</p> + +<p>"Well, open the door and let's see him," said Mike.</p> + +<p>Tim opened the door and there stood Billy Whiskers in all his +glory with his most dignified expression mixed with a little +disgust, for had he not heard himself valued at <i>a dollar and a +half</i>,—he that had brought <i>twenty dollars</i> in his day!</p> + +<p>Tim tied a rope around Billy's neck and led him out of the shed +and then the bargaining began again.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, since I have seen him," says Mike, "and find he is pretty +large, I'll raise my bid to two dollars cash."</p> + +<p>"Not on your life will I sell him for <i>that</i>," said Tim.</p> + +<p>"Then how does <i>three</i> strike you, or you keep your goat for I +won't pay another cent. It costs too much to keep a big goat like +that; they eat up everything on the place."</p> + +<p>This Tim well knew and as he was short of money and a circus was +coming to town the next week, he decided to let him go. But not +without one last effort to get a little more out of Mike. Now +Mike had a hunting knife Tim had long coveted, though it had a +rusty blade and a wobbly handle, so he said:</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you what I'll do, Mike. I'll let you have him for +three dollars cash and your hunting knife with a package of +cigarettes thrown in."</p> + +<p>"All right, it's a go!" said Mike. So Mike took hold of Billy's +rope and led him into his yard and thus Billy changed hands once +more and became the property of Mike O'Hara.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_030.jpg" width="600" height="64" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_Gives_the_Boys_a_Ducking_in_the_Mill_Pond" id="Billy_Gives_the_Boys_a_Ducking_in_the_Mill_Pond"></a> +<img src="images/image_031_01.jpg" width="790" height="299" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 182px;"> +<img src="images/image_031_02.jpg" width="182" height="281" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">hen</span> Mike O'Hara became the possessor of Billy Whiskers he felt +as proud as a peacock, for he knew he had made a good bargain and +got the best of Tim Rooney for once in his life, and this pleased +him mightily as Tim generally got the best of him in a trade.</p> + +<p>When he reached his own yard, he called over the fence for Tim to +come and see what Billy and Nanny would do when they first saw +each other. Tim accepted the invitation with alacrity and jumped +over the fence just in time to see Nanny walk out of the shed, as +they thought to make the acquaintance of Billy for the first +time.</p> + +<p>"Now is my chance," thought Billy, "to kiss her, and she can't +make a fuss before the boys." So up he walked and kissed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> her +straight on the mouth. Nanny was so surprised that she gave him a +startled look, turned her back and walked into the shed again.</p> + +<p>"How is that for a cold snub!" said Tim. "Let us harness them +together and see what they will do."</p> + +<p>"All right," said Mike, "if you will help me make a harness for +Billy. I have one for Nanny already."</p> + +<p>The two set to work and in an hour had made a harness for Billy +out of old leather straps and strings, and then they commenced to +harness them to the little cart made out of a packing box set on +wheels.</p> + +<p>The goats bleated and squirmed, wiggled and bucked, but nothing +dismayed the boys and they kept on until the two goats were +harnessed up tight and strong to the cart, and then the fun +began.</p> + +<p>Mike jumped in and took up the reins and Tim followed after, and +out of the yard and down the road they went, sending a cloud of +dust after them.</p> + +<p>From all sides went up the cry: "Look at Mike O'Hara, he has got +a new goat!" And from front-yard, back-yard and sand-pile flocked +the children to see the fun.</p> + +<p>All went well for a quarter of a mile, when Tim, tired of running +on behind, jumped in with Mike. Billy felt the additional<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> weight +in a minute and he bleated to Nanny that he would be switched if +he would pull Tim Rooney, the boy who sold him so cheaply.</p> + +<p>"You will have to," said Nanny.</p> + +<p>"No, I won't," said Billy. "You just watch and see what I will +do! But you must promise to do quickly what I tell you to, or I +can't do it, because I am hitched up with you; so, Nanny, you +will have to follow me and not pull back."</p> + +<p>"All right," said Nanny, "I will do whatever you tell me to."</p> + +<p>"Very well. Do you see that pond ahead?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," answered Nanny.</p> + +<p>"Now go slowly until we get within ten feet of it; then take a +long breath and run straight into the water as far as you can go. +Don't stop or turn to right or left no matter how hard they pull +or scream. Keep right on and we will give Mr. Tim a ducking he +won't forget. I'll teach him to stay out of any cart I am +pulling!"</p> + +<p>They were now ten feet from the pond and Billy gave Nanny the +signal call, and with one accord both goats put down their heads +and commenced to pull and run for dear life. At first the boys +thought it great fun going so fast and neither suspected what +the goats were up to, until Billy gave a quick turn and into the +water they went before either boy could jump out.</p> + + + + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p> + +<p>The water was cold and deep and both boys took hold of the reins +to try to stop the goats or make them turn round but to no use; +on they went until only the heads of the boys were seen sticking +out of the water and both goats were swimming. When they got in +Billy enjoyed the wetting he was giving the boys so much, that he +did not stop when he had wet their feet, but told Nanny to keep +on until they were drenched to the skin.</p> + +<p>While they were swimming, Billy said to Nan:</p> + +<p>"I am tired of this, beside when we get to shore the boys will +pound us for ducking them in the pond, so as soon as we get to +shore I am going to run them into a big tree and upset them. This +harness is so rotten that it will break at the least strain that +is put on it, and when the cart goes over we will both give a big +pull which will break it loose from the cart, and then we must +run and hide in those thick bushes I see ahead, where the boys +can't find us."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Billy, I am afraid," said Nanny. "They will surely find us +and whip us and shut us up without any supper."</p> + +<p>"You're a coward, Nanny. Do what I tell you and I'll take care of +you. The boys will never find us if we once get loose and I'll +show you where there is the best supper you ever tasted."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> + +<p>And once again Nanny fell in with his plans and both goats began +to swim for shore pulling the cart with the two boys still in it, +scolding like magpies.</p> + +<p>Once on shore, Billy turned to the left, instead of the right +which was the way home, and made for a tree that was just the +right size to catch the hub of the wheel and overturn the cart in +great shape.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_037.jpg" width="400" height="381" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>The boy commenced to switch the goats for the ducking they had +given them, and of course, thought the whipping the cause of +their rapid progress; but could they have read Billy's mind they +would have seen their mistake, for Billy knew the harder and +faster he hit the tree the more sure he was of smashing things +and getting free.</p> + +<p>Smash, bang, roll and tumble! the cart has hit the tree and two +boys are rolling over each other in the dust, while<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> two goats go +scampering off into the thick bushes that line the road.</p> + +<p>Mike recovered himself first and started in hot pursuit of the +runaways while Tim sat still on a stone and rubbed his head and +nose which was bleeding profusely.</p> + +<p>"Hurry, Nanny, hurry," Billy called as he disappeared from sight +down a deep ravine. Poor Nanny was so frightened at what she had +done, she could not hurry or begin to keep up with Billy, who made +great leaps from rock to rock; so she ran under a thorn-apple tree +and trusted to its low drooping branches to hide her.</p> + +<p>But Mike was too close on her heels. He saw the moving of the +branches and knew one of the goats was hiding there. She made a +futile attempt to escape but the thorns ran into her so that she +gave up and meekly let herself be led back to the cart.</p> + +<p>"I have one of them," Mike called out as soon as he came in sight +of Tim.</p> + +<p>"Which one?" said Tim.</p> + +<p>"Nanny," said Mike.</p> + +<p>"I'll bet ye it wasn't that old one; he's a foxy old customer, he +is, and I'll bet me red shirt ye'll never set your eyes on him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> +again. Devil take me if I care if ye don't after the wetting and +bloody nose he's given me," said Tim.</p> + +<p>"You hold Nanny, while I go look for Billy, Tim."</p> + +<p>"All right and joy and good luck go with ye, but mark me words ye +never will find him when you're looking for him. Better come home +with me, and if he ever comes back he'll come back to-night to +see Nanny of his own accord," said Tim. "I know the ways of goats +better than ye do."</p> + +<p>But Mike did not take Tim's advice. He went to look for Billy but +in about an hour and a half he wished he hadn't, for he saw no +signs of the runaway, and came back tired and foot-sore just in +time to see Tim and Nanny disappearing over the hill on the way +home.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_039.jpg" width="600" height="88" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 800px;"><a name="Billys_Adventures_in_Town" id="Billys_Adventures_in_Town"></a> +<img src="images/image_040_01.jpg" width="800" height="305" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 94px;"> +<img src="images/image_040_02.jpg" width="94" height="218" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">illy</span> hid behind some rocks in the bottom of a ravine until he +thought the boys had given up looking for him. Then he came out +of his hiding-place, and snipped off the fresh young leaves from +the bushes as he walked along making up his mind what he would do +next.</p> + +<p>"It is too bad," he thought, "that Nanny is such a scare-cat and +slow runner for if she had only kept up with me she would be free +now and we could have a good time here. There are lots of young +shoots and juicy leaves for us to eat and plenty of water in the +creek to drink.</p> + +<p>"Now I must go back and see what has become of her. I expect I +will be caught and pounded by the boys, but I told<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> her I would +take care of her and as I never break my word, I must go and see +what I can do."</p> + +<p>He climbed a high hill where he could get a good view of the road +and there he saw Tim leading Nanny into Mike's yard, and a mile +behind he saw Mike walking slowly along.</p> + +<p>"Ho, ho!" said Billy, "they have caught Nan, so there is no use +in my trying to get her away now. I will just wait until dark and +then go back and butt the shed down and get her out and then we +can run away together before they can catch us."</p> + +<p>Turning and looking in the opposite direction he saw lying in the +valley beneath him a city, and he immediately made up his mind to +visit it for it had been a long while since he had been in a +large town.</p> + +<p>Down the hill he started on a run, loosening stones and pebbles +as he went, which rolled after him sending up a cloud of dust.</p> + +<p>At the bottom he struck the main road that led to the town, and +keeping up his fast gait he was soon within its suburbs.</p> + +<p>The first thing he came to was a flower and fruit stand, the +owner of which, a greasy, black-looking Italian, was talking to a +fat blue-coated policeman. Both stood with their backs turned to +the fruit stand.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 432px;"><a name="pic_3" id="pic_3"></a> +<img class="img1" src="images/image_042.jpg" width="432" height="543" alt="THE ITALIAN WAS SO HORRIFIED AND DISMAYED TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT HE FORGOT WHAT LITTLE ENGLISH HE KNEW." title="THE ITALIAN WAS SO HORRIFIED AND DISMAYED TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT HE FORGOT WHAT LITTLE ENGLISH HE KNEW." /> +<span class="caption">THE ITALIAN WAS SO HORRIFIED AND DISMAYED TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT HE FORGOT WHAT LITTLE ENGLISH HE KNEW.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now was Billy's chance. Luscious pears, peaches and grapes lay +before him ready to be eaten, and without a moment's hesitation +he began to sample each, while now and then he would eat a rose +or two between, thus making his own salad. And he found he liked +his fruit salad served on rose leaves just as well as on lettuce.</p> + +<p>In reaching for an extra delicious-looking pear he had to stand +on his hind legs with his fore feet on the lower shelf. But alas, +for his greed! His weight on the board that formed the shelf was +too much, and it flew up in the air sending the fruit in all +directions and making such a racket that the fruit dealer heard +it and turned around just in time to see the wreck of his stand.</p> + +<p>The Italian was so horrified and dismayed to see what had +happened that he forgot what little English he knew and chattered +and swore in Italian until you would have thought a dozen parrots +had been suddenly let loose.</p> + +<p>The policeman tried to stop and catch Billy by spreading out his +legs and waving his arms, but Billy only lowered his head and ran +between the policeman's legs, upsetting him as he went through +for Billy was fat and the policeman short-legged and there was +not room to slide through without upsetting the man.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> + +<p>The policeman picked himself up and started in hot pursuit, +swearing under his breath that if he ever caught that goat he +would club its brains out.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_045.jpg" width="400" height="477" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Of course the policeman could not catch up to the fleet-footed +Billy, so he called out—"Catch him!" But no one cared to attempt +it, especially when Billy lowered his head with the long horns on +it and ran at him.</p> + +<p>But at last, after dodging in and out of the people on the +sidewalk and the carts and wagons in the street, one man was +brave enough to try to catch him. He was a big German butcher and +he stood plum in Billy's way, and when Billy lowered his head at +him, as he had at the others, the butcher caught hold of his +horns and gave his neck a quick twist. This made Billy furious +and he reared on his hind legs and struck at the butcher with his +fore ones, and then the fight began; first one was on top, then +the other, and they rolled over and over into the mud<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> of the +street, while a big crowd gathered, which cheered and called out:</p> + +<p>"I bet on the goat!"</p> + +<p>"Give it to him, Dutchie!" and all such expressions, until at +last Billy got on his feet again, and with a parting hook he slit +the butcher's coat up the back and left him lying in the mud, +while he ran off as fast as his legs would carry him. And it is +needless to say that none of that crowd tried to stop him.</p> + +<p>He had gone through many streets and turned many corners, when he +found himself opposite a beautiful, green, cool-looking park.</p> + +<p>"This is the place for me," thought Billy, "it looks nice and +quiet and as I am tired I will go in and lie down under one of +the trees and eat a little grass."</p> + +<p>After taking a nice rest and nap under the trees, he awoke, and +feeling thirsty thought he would go and quench his thirst at a +sparkling fountain he saw before him. He was quietly drinking and +every once in a while swallowing a goldfish that swam too near +his mouth, when someone from behind gave him a hard hit with a +rake.</p> + +<p>"It is a pity a goat can't take a drink without being pounded,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +thought Billy. "But as I have had enough I guess I will move on +for I don't like the looks of this man's face, and I know he will +give me no peace."</p> + +<p>So he walked away slowly, just as if he were going away of his +own accord, when the man gave him another hit with the rake. This +was too much for Billy's pie-crust temper; he turned on the man, +who was gardener of the park, and sent him sprawling over a +hay-cock before he knew what had struck him.</p> + +<p>As Billy walked toward the high iron fence that encircled the +park he saw a policeman coming in at the gate. Now if there was +one thing Billy detested, it was a policeman, and he made for him +running at full speed with head down, and before the policeman +had even seen the goat he found himself hanging by the seat of +his trousers to the sharp iron pickets of the fence. Billy left +him there struggling, kicking, swearing and calling for help +while he made off as fast as his legs would carry him.</p> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_047.jpg" width="600" height="141" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_Has_a_Ride_in_the_Police_Patrol_Wagon" id="Billy_Has_a_Ride_in_the_Police_Patrol_Wagon"></a> +<img src="images/image_048_01.jpg" width="790" height="338" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 124px;"> +<img src="images/image_048_02.jpg" width="124" height="260" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<p><span class="smcap">fter</span> Billy left the policeman hanging on the fence, he walked +through street after street trying to find his way out of the +town, so he could go back to Nanny, but the more he looked for +the scattered houses of the suburbs, the more closely they seemed +to be built, and he found himself on a street where there were +nothing but stores and flats. It was beginning to get dark and he +was getting hungry and tired.</p> + +<p>"I'll turn down the next alley I come to and see if I can't find +someone's back gate open where I can go in and rest," thought +Billy. He soon found the back yard to a flat and as he stood in +the open gate looking up, he could see by the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> gas light in the +different apartments, the cooks getting supper, and could smell +the sweet odor, to him, of boiled cabbage.</p> + +<p>"Now is my chance," he thought, "to get supper and then come back +and sleep in this coal shed I see in the corner."</p> + +<p>As there were long flights of stairs that connected one flat with +the other, he thought he would commence at the bottom flight and +go to the top, stopping at each flat as he went and picking up +anything he saw fit to eat. At the first landing, the cook had +just been out to the ice-chest to get something for supper and +had neglected to shut the door tightly, consequently it was an +easy matter for Billy to push it open with his nose, and then +help himself to the nice, crisp, fresh lettuce and radishes he +saw lying on the shelf. These he ate in a twinkling; next he +found a basket of eggs, these he did not care for, but he did +want the bunch of large carrots back of the basket, so he stuck +his head farther into the chest to reach the carrots and in doing +so, his horns ran through the handle of the basket and when he +brought his head out of the chest, the basket of eggs came too.</p> + +<p>It slipped down until it hit his forehead and then it turned +over, spilling the eggs on the floor and making a terrible mess. +As the eggs broke, each one made a noise like a small paper<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> +torpedo, and Billy knew the noise would bring the cook, so he +scooted up the stairs to the next landing, where he kept very +still in order to hear what the cook would say when she saw the +broken eggs for he heard her coming out.</p> + +<p>"Goodness, gracious, me! The grocery boy has dropped a package of +eggs on his way up stairs. No he hasn't either, for my ice-box +door is open and someone has been stealing my things!" he heard +her say, and she hurried down stairs to look for the janitor to +tell him that sneak thieves had been at her ice chest.</p> + +<p>When Billy heard her go down the stairs for the janitor, he went +to the upper flat, for fear the janitor would find him if he +stayed where he was. Arriving at the upper flat, he saw a line of +nicely-starched, fine linen things,—a baby's cap, two or three +handkerchiefs and a lace tidy. These he chewed up and swallowed +for he liked the taste of starch and they felt quite like chewing +gum in his mouth as he ate them. Then he saw a pan of apples +setting outside the door and he ate some of those. While eating +he heard the electric bell in the kitchen ring, which scared the +life out of him at first, but when he looked in the window and +found out what it was, he got over his fright. When the girl left +the kitchen to answer the bell,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> Billy thought he would go in and +take a drink from a pan of milk he saw setting on the table. He +had nearly finished the milk and his whiskers were all wet from +being in the pan, when he heard a scream and, looking up, he saw +the girl standing in the doorway, screaming: "Fire! police! +murder!"</p> + +<p>"What a goose that girl is," thought Billy, "to make such a +racket, she will have the patrol here and four or five policemen +if she don't shut up. Guess I will run into her and butt her +through the hall and down the front stairs."</p> + +<p>Suiting the action to the thought, he started for her but she +fled down the hall and ran into a room closing the door after +her. As she closed that door, the janitor opened the front door +which was directly opposite and Billy getting there just at that +time gave the janitor the butt instead of the girl and sent him +sprawling on the hall floor.</p> + +<p>Before he could get up, Billy ran back through the hall to escape +down the back stairs and as he ran he could hear the girl +calling: "Fire! police! murder!" out of the window at the top of +her voice.</p> + +<p>Billy hurried down the outside stairs as fast as he could, but +there were so many turns they made him dizzy and as he reached +the last flight, he heard the janitor above him call <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>to someone +in the yard not to let that confounded goat escape through the +back gate.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image_052.jpg" width="500" height="554" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Billy laughed to himself, "I would like to see anyone stop me," +when all unexpectedly, someone hit him on the head with a club as +he made the last turn in the stairs and there before him were +three policemen in a line stopping his way out. He butted and +kicked and balked, but to no use; they clubbed him until he was +almost senseless and then slipped a rope around his neck and +dragged him to the patrol wagon that was waiting outside the +gate, and with many boosts and pushes they at last succeeded in +getting him into the wagon.</p> + +<p>As they drove down the street at break-neck speed, Billy vowed to +himself that if he ever got away from the police, that he would +go back and butt that girl into the middle of next week for +screaming, "Fire! police! murder!" until she had brought the +patrol wagon.</p> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_053.jpg" width="600" height="98" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_Joins_the_Fire_Patrol" id="Billy_Joins_the_Fire_Patrol"></a> +<img src="images/image_054_01.jpg" width="790" height="240" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 135px;"> +<img src="images/image_054_02.jpg" width="135" height="283" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="smcap">hen</span> they arrived at the police station Billy was made to jump +out and was led through the station into the back yard, and here +he was turned loose. He had been there about half an hour, when +he heard a terrible stamping of horses' feet and many bells +ringing in the building on the other side of the fence.</p> + +<p>Wondering what the racket could be about, he climbed on top of a +pile of boxes that were next to the fence and looked into the +yard beyond. He found that the building was used as a fire-engine +station, and that the racket he had heard was caused by the +horses taking their places at the engine ready to start to a +fire.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p> + +<p>Through two large doors that opened into the yard Billy could see +what was going on inside. And when he saw the men jump to their +places on the engine and the driver whip up his horses, he became +so excited he could stand it no longer and he determined to go +with them to the fire. With a spring he was over the fence and +following after the engine at a stiff run.</p> + +<p>It was a good thing Billy had a strong pair of lungs or he would +never have been able to keep up with the fast speed of the +fire-engine horses, but he did and arrived at the fire in good +shape.</p> + +<p>The fire was found to be in a three-story frame house, and when +they got there the flames were already coming out of the upper +windows; but the strangest thing about the fire was that the +inhabitants of the house, if there were any, seemed to be in +utter oblivion that their house was on fire for not a person was +in sight about the place and all the doors and windows were +securely locked.</p> + +<p>Two men ran up the steps with axes, while two followed dragging +the hose after them. The men with the axes had given one knock to +the door when Billy saw what they were up to, and as he had often +used his head as a battering-ram, he ran up the steps, and before +the men knew he was there, he gave<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> the door a mighty butt with +his head which made it crash in and the men and goat fell through +the opening.</p> + +<p>This tickled the crowd who had gathered to see the fire, and they +called out: "Bravo for the goat!"</p> + +<p>Billy followed the firemen upstairs but when he got there the +smoke was so thick he could see nothing, and it made his eyes +smart beside choking him dreadfully, so he decided to go out +again. He turned to find the head of the stairs he had come up, +but instead of discovering them he ran into the wall and the more +he tried to find his way out, the more confused he became. He +fell over something and when he regained his feet, after having +nearly gone head over heels into a box, as he thought, but which +was a baby's cradle, he felt something heavy hanging to his +horns. At the same time he heard a baby cry.</p> + +<p>"Poor little thing," thought Billy, "everyone has gone out of the +house and left the baby asleep and now it is going to be burned +to death. Wish I knew where it was; it sounds near but I can't +see for this smoke." Just then a little bare foot slipped down +over Billy's eyes and then he knew the heavy thing hanging to his +horns was the baby.</p> + +<p>As soon as he found this out, he tried harder than ever<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> to find +the stairs and presently he found them, and with the baby's +clothes still twisted around his horns he ran down and out into +the street, just in time to meet the baby's nurse coming from the +drugstore around the corner. She was wild with joy when she saw +the baby and rushed up to Billy to unfasten the baby's clothes +from his horns. The child was unhurt, and a crowd soon gathered +around Billy to pet and praise him for saving the baby's life.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_057.jpg" width="400" height="454" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> + +<p>Billy stayed there until the fire was put out and watched the +hose being rolled up, while the firemen that were doing it talked +to him all the time.</p> + +<p>When the hose was all on the cart and the firemen stepped up on +the little step that is at the back to ride home, Billy walked +over and stepped up also but he had to stand on his hind legs +with his fore feet on the coil of hose in front of him.</p> + +<p>One fireman thought this a very clever thing for a goat to do, so +he put his arm around his neck and said, "All right, old fellow, +you shall ride home with me, but take care for we are going to +start and the road is rough and you may fall off." And in this +way Billy rode back to the fire station, causing many smiles from +the people they passed.</p> + +<p>As they drove into the station one of the policemen who was +standing outside their station called out, "Where did you get +that goat?" Billy's friend called back: "I don't know where he +came from; all I know is that he followed us to the fire, where +he made himself useful by saving a life."</p> + +<p>"Well, we have his brother in our back yard. If not his brother, +then one that looks precisely like him."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I guess not," answered Billy's friend, "for there are not +two such fine looking goats in town."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, I'll show you, come over and see for yourself."</p> + +<p>So the two men went into the police station yard with Billy +lagging at their heels, laughing to himself to think how fooled +the policeman was going to be at not finding any goat there.</p> + +<p>When they got to the yard the policeman looked everywhere, but +could find no sign of a goat, so went into the station to ask the +other policemen where the goat had gone, but none had seen him +and all thought he was still in the yard.</p> + +<p>"Well that must be my goat, then," said the policeman.</p> + +<p>"Not much!" answered the fireman. "You will have to bring better +proof than that before I give him up."</p> + +<p>"Well, I don't want him anyway," said the policeman, "and you +will be glad to get rid of him yourself in a day or two for he is +the most troublesome goat you ever heard of. You should hear of +the mischief he got into at the flat we took him from."</p> + +<p>"Very well," said the fireman, "I'll stand all the trouble he +will cause."</p> + +<p>And with that he led Billy out of the yard into their back yard +and gave him a nice place to sleep, a big dinner and a bucket of +water, all of which Billy was thankful for as he was both hungry +and thirsty after his trip to the fire.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> + +<p>After his first ride on the hose-cart, Billy liked it so much +that every time the cart went out Billy went too and rode, as he +had before, with his hind legs on the step and his fore feet on +the coil of hose in front of him and the fireman always steadied +him with his arm. And soon this fire company was known as the +White Goat Company, with Billy as its mascot.</p> + +<p>Billy had been with the firemen about a month, when one day he +heard them talking about a procession they were going to be in, +that all the fire-engines, hose-carts and hook-and-ladder +companies were to be in the parade and that the horses were to +have their hoofs gilded and wear collars of roses, and that he, +Billy, was to have his horns and hoofs gilded also, and wear a +rose collar and be led by a chain made of roses, by one of the +firemen who was to wear a red shirt, black trousers and high +patent leather boots and his fireman's hat with a visor.</p> + +<p>When Billy heard this he said, "I won't march in their old +procession, and make a circus of myself. I'll run away first." +But he did not get a chance.</p> + +<p>When the morning of the day of the procession came, Billy watched +the firemen polish the brass of the engine and trim it with +garlands of flowers tied with bright colored ribbons; but when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> +they commenced to gild the horses' hoofs one of them said to him:</p> + +<p>"It will be your turn next Billy; we are going to give you a +scrubbing in the tub until your hair is as soft and shiny as +silk, and then we are going to gild your long horns and tie blue +ribbons on them, and put the handsomest wreath of pink roses we +can find round your neck. My! but you will look fine, Billy. And +we expect you to behave and walk in a dignified manner, for the +Fire Marshal is going to give you a gold medal to wear round your +neck for saving the baby's life."</p> + +<p>"It is very nice of them to give me a medal," thought Billy, "and +they have been good to me; but I don't like being scrubbed and +dressed up like a clown, beside I am getting tired of town life +and I long for the country and Nanny. I might as well run away +one time as another, so I will watch my chance, and when they are +all busy and not looking, I will walk out of the station quietly, +as if I were only going for my usual walk up the street, and when +I get to the corner, I will turn it and once out of sight I will +run until I get so far away they can't find me."</p> + +<p>But for once Master Billy's plans were foiled for just as he was +walking out of the station one of the firemen saw him and said:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Here, here, Billy, not so fast! We are ready for you now and if +you go for a walk there is no knowing when you will come back."</p> + +<p>And he took Billy by the horns and led him into the back yard +where another fireman had a big tub of soapy water ready to put +him in.</p> + +<p>Billy stood in the tub and submitted to the scrubbing until the +soapy water ran into his eyes and then he got mad and butted the +fireman, who was holding his horns, clear over, and kicked the +other man, who was scrubbing him, in the stomach; and then around +and around the yard he ran bleating and shaking his head, wild +with the smart of the soap that was in his eyes.</p> + +<p>"Here, Jack, this will never do," said one fireman to the other, +"he is not half clean. Let us get the hose and turn it on him +while he is running around."</p> + +<p>"All right," said the other, "that will be great sport."</p> + +<p>And they got the hose and soon they were squirting it over Billy +as he ran, first on one side and then on the other, and no matter +where he went the stream of water followed him and played all +over him, and if he stopped running and hugged the fence it was +worse than ever for then the water flowed in a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> perfect stream +and doused him from head to foot, sending a spray over the fence.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="pic_4" id="pic_4"></a> +<img class="img1" src="images/image_035.jpg" width="500" height="628" alt="THIS CALLED FORTH A SHOUT OF GLEE FROM THE POLICEMEN WHO WERE LOOKING OVER THE FENCE. " title="THIS CALLED FORTH A SHOUT OF GLEE FROM THE POLICEMEN WHO WERE LOOKING OVER THE FENCE." /> +<span class="caption">THIS CALLED FORTH A SHOUT OF GLEE FROM THE POLICEMEN WHO WERE LOOKING OVER THE FENCE. </span> +</div> + +<p>All the firemen had come out to see the fun and when the +policemen in the next yard heard a great deal of laughing and +racket in the fireman's back yard, they too hurried to the fence +and watched the fun.</p> + +<p>Of course, this only added to Billy's rage, to see his hated +enemies, the policemen, laughing at him, and he vowed he would +get even with them some day, and with the firemen right away, for +he knew his strength. With a bound and a quick run he made for +the group of firemen that were tormenting him and butted and +hooked them in all directions, and sent the fireman who was +playing the hose on him sprawling into the tub of soapy water +that but a few minutes before he had Billy in.</p> + +<p>This called forth a shout of glee from the policemen who were +looking over the fence, and with another angry bound Billy went +for them and butted the fence down that they were leaning +against, and they made their escape into the police station just +in time, for Billy came through the fence and after them, right +up to the door they had run through.</p> + +<p>He gave it one butt and then turned and walked back into his own +yard where he lay down on a pile of straw to cool<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> off after his +exertion. He had been there about half an hour when his pet +fireman came out with a large plate in his hand heaped full of +good things to eat and as he walked toward Billy, the goat could +smell the cabbage, turnips, apples and carrots. He bleated a +friendly greeting to let the fireman know that he would not hook +him if he came nearer and the man came up and set the plate down +under Billy's nose and Billy gave him a goat smile showing that +all was forgiven and began to eat.</p> + +<p>While he was eating this same fireman went in and brought out a +kettle with a brush in it and began to gild Billy's horns and +hoofs. Then he tied a wreath of roses round his neck and went to +get the rope wound with roses to lead him by. But while he was +gone Billy ate up the front of the wreath and as much more of it +as he could reach.</p> + +<p>When the fireman came back dressed for the parade with the rose +chain in his hand that he was to lead Billy with, he spied the +eaten wreath, and said:</p> + +<p>"Why, Billy, you beat any bad boy I ever heard of for mischief! +Now you will have to come into the station and have another +wreath tied round your neck, and I bet you won't chew this one +for I will tie it so close to your neck you can't reach it with +your mouth."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> + +<p>As they went in the station Billy heard a band playing and the +rat-ta-tah-tah of the drums, and when they heard the music the +engine horses, all decked in rose collars and bridles, with +plumes on their heads, started to prance and pull the beautifully +draped and polished engine out of the station to join the +procession.</p> + +<p>And before Billy knew what was up, he was led out and made to +march in the procession between the engine and hose-cart. After +they had started he rather enjoyed it for from all sides he heard +the people say:</p> + +<p>"There, look! There goes the goat that saved the baby's life."</p> + +<p>"Isn't he a beauty?"</p> + +<p>"See what nice, white, silky hair he has!"</p> + +<p>"Yes," Billy thought, "if they could have seen the firemen +scrubbing me, I expect they would have laughed like the policemen +did." But it all tickled his vanity for Billy was as conceited a +goat as you could well find.</p> + +<p>They had been marching for some time and Billy was getting tired +of the slow gait and being made to stay between the engine and +hose-cart instead of riding on the hose-cart as he had been in +the habit of doing, when he heard the plaintive bleat of a goat +and the sound of a whip.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> + +<p>"My!" thought Billy, "how that voice reminds me of Nanny."</p> + +<p>Just then a little cart, with a can of milk in it, drawn by a +goat came in sight around the corner, and who should be pulling +it but Nanny, with the big, clumsy Mike Rooney cracking the whip +at her and every once in a while giving her a stinging cut which +had caused Nanny to cry out as Billy had heard.</p> + +<p>Mike had just given Nanny another and an extra hard cut with the +whip, when Billy recognized Nanny and with a bound he was at her +side leaving the fireman behind him and upsetting Mike in his mad +haste to get to Nanny.</p> + +<p>When Mike regained his feet he came at Billy with the butt of his +whip raised to strike him, but before he did so, he recognized +Billy as his long-lost goat, and was going to make up with him +and hitch him to the cart to help Nanny draw it, when Billy made +a plunge at him and sent him sprawling into the street. Then he +butted the cart over and spilled the milk and told Nanny to turn +around and run toward home and he would keep Mike off.</p> + +<p>Nanny did as she was told and soon the harness broke and let her +loose from the overturned cart. By this time Mike was on his feet +again, furious and mad enough at Billy to kill him had he caught +him, but with a kick of his heels in the air Billy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> and Nanny had +left him and were running away as fast as they could while the +firemen and the crowd stood still and watched.</p> + +<p>Mike ran until he was all out of breath and in turning a corner +sharply he ran into another boy coming in the opposite direction. +This made the boy mad and he struck at Mike hitting him in the +jaw. That was too much for Mike who was already angry at being +outwitted by the goats, so he pitched into the boy and they +fought until both had black eyes and bloody noses and a policeman +coming up at that time arrested them both for disorderly conduct. +While all this was happening the goats had made good their +escape.</p> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_067.jpg" width="600" height="111" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_and_Nanny_Get_into_Mischief" id="Billy_and_Nanny_Get_into_Mischief"></a> +<img src="images/image_068_01.jpg" width="790" height="272" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 99px;"> +<img src="images/image_068_02.jpg" width="99" height="307" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">hen</span> next we see Billy, he and Nanny are lying peacefully in the +moonlight fast asleep. After running away from Mike, Nanny showed +Billy the way into the country, for she knew the road well, as +she had had to draw a can of milk to town every morning.</p> + +<p>When they were once out of town Billy said:</p> + +<p>"Now, Nanny, we must find a nice meadow somewhere in which we can +get some grass to eat and water to drink and then you must tell +me all that has happened since last I saw you. But first we must +get as far away from the road Mike will have to take to get home +as we can, or he will find us."</p> + +<p>So they turned off at the first cross-road they came to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> and +hurried on until they found the fine, green pasture where we now +see them.</p> + +<p>The next day they were in this same pasture enjoying themselves +when they saw some boys coming toward them. At first they thought +the boys were looking for them; but soon discovered from their +conversation that the boys were going swimming in a little lake +at the end of the meadow near the woods. They passed close by the +goats without paying any attention to them.</p> + +<p>One boy had a bag of pop-corn he was eating and Billy smelling it +commenced to long for some. The firemen had bought salted and +buttered pop-corn for him every day, and the smell of this made +him hungry and he determined to get the bag from the boy.</p> + +<p>"But how can you, Billy?" asked Nanny, when he told her he was +going to get the pop-corn.</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you; when they leave their clothes on the bank and go +in swimming I will steal up and eat what is left in the bag, and +anything else I find in their pockets."</p> + +<p>"How are you going to get anything out of their pockets without +hands?"</p> + +<p>"Why, I will eat pocket and all if I smell anything in there I +like," answered Billy.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Billy Whiskers, you are the most determined goat I ever heard +of," said Nanny. "If you want anything you are going to have it, +no matter how you have to get it."</p> + +<p>"I guess you are right, Nan. But if you had ever tasted salted +and buttered pop-corn you, too, would have it if you had to hook +all five of those boys into the lake to get it. Come along, and +we will go over near the lake so when they go into the water we +can go through their clothes and I will give you your first taste +of a town delicacy in the shape of pop-corn."</p> + +<p>Billy and Nanny soon arrived at the bank of the lake where the +boys had gone in swimming, and behind a clump of bushes they +found the boys' clothes.</p> + +<p>Billy lost no time in smelling out the bag of pop-corn but alas! +when found, it was empty. Billy's disappointment knew no bounds +and he began to vent his spleen on the clothes that were lying +around by hooking and stamping on them. When throwing a coat up +in the air on his horns two nice red apples rolled out of one of +the pockets. After eating one of these and allowing Nanny to eat +the other, he felt a little less angry and commenced to smell +around for something else equally as good.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> + +<p>All this time they could hear the boys shouting and splashing in +the water, oblivious of the mischief that was being done to their +clothes, for they could not see the goats through the bushes.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Billy, come here!" called Nanny, "and see what I have found. +It smells awfully good but I don't know what it can be."</p> + +<p>Billy went and after smelling the coat pronounced the good smell +to come from a piece of gingerbread in one of the pockets.</p> + +<p>"How do you know?" asked Nanny.</p> + +<p>"Well, I guess if you had eaten as many pieces of gingerbread as +I have you would not forget the name. When I lived at Mr. +Wagner's, his boys used to give it to me often."</p> + +<p>But the trouble was to get it out of the pocket now that it was +found. Billy threw the coat up in the air, shook it in his mouth +and did everything else he could think of, but the gingerbread +would not fall out, so when the coat turned wrong side out and +the pocket lay exposed he ate pocket and all, forgetting to save +any for Nanny.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Nanny, forgive me, I forgot to give you some and you found +it, but don't care for it did not taste very good and I felt +something hard go down my throat and I think I must have +swallowed a jack-knife also.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_072.jpg" width="400" height="466" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Here is something good, Nanny. A white shirt with starched +cuffs. You take one sleeve and I will take the other and I know +you will like the starchy taste."</p> + +<p>The goats were standing there each chewing on a cuff when they +heard the boys coming and it happened that they both heard the +noise at the same time, but turned to run in opposite directions +which tore the shirt from top to bottom and when the boys first +saw the goats they were scampering off with a piece of shirt +waving from their mouths.</p> + + + +<p>The boys started after them but the rough ground the goats were +running over hurt the boys' feet so they had to give up and +content themselves with throwing stones at the two runaways.</p> + +<p>When the boys went to see what damage had been done they found +one boy minus a pair of trousers, another a shirt and all the +rest had lost their collars and cuffs to say nothing of the +pockets that were missing.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p> + +<p>But the boy whose trousers were gone was in the worst fix, as the +others could go home without any collars and the boy minus a +shirt could button his coat up tight to his neck and no one would +know he had no shirt on. But alas for the trouserless boy! What +was he to do? At last they hit on a plan. He was to take one of +the boys' coats and stick his legs in the sleeves and button the +coat tightly in front and tie it on round his waist with a +string. This he did, but when he had to walk he could only take +the very shortest of steps. This, with the comical picture he +made, sent the boys into peals of laughter, and they rolled on +the ground and held their sides for pain from laughing when he +stubbed his toe and fell head over heels, or when he tried to +climb a fence.</p> + +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_073.jpg" width="600" height="137" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_and_Nanny_Are_Married" id="Billy_and_Nanny_Are_Married"></a> +<img src="images/image_074_01.jpg" width="790" height="236" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 103px;"> +<img src="images/image_074_02.jpg" width="103" height="189" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p><span class="smcap">fter</span> leaving the boys the two goats trotted on and soon came out +on the other side of the wood and saw before them a beautiful +valley. Grazing peacefully beside a little brook that ran through +it, they saw a herd of goats. And at the upper end of the valley +beyond them they saw a large old-fashioned farmhouse with its +stables and outhouses.</p> + +<p>"Nan, let us go down and introduce ourselves to the head goat of +the flock and see if they won't let us stay with them for awhile. +There are so many of them that the farmer won't notice us among +them when he drives them into the stable to-night, and it will be +a good place for us to stay until Mike stops hunting for us, for +I know he won't give us up in a hurry and is probably looking for +us now, and I don't propose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> to live with such a common family as +Mike belongs to, for until now I have only lived with first-class +families."</p> + +<p>Nanny agreed to join the goats so the two trotted down the hill +bleating as they ran to attract the attention of the other goats. +The goats soon heard them, stopped eating and looked up, and when +Billy and Nanny were within speaking distance the leader of the +goats, a large black fellow, walked out to meet them.</p> + +<p>Billy introduced himself and then Nanny to the old goat who in +return told them his name was Satan and that he would be glad to +have them join his flock, adding that he was always glad to get +ahead of boys, as he had received some rough usage at their hands +when younger.</p> + +<p>"If we see Mike coming after you, we will all form in a circle +around you and Miss Nanny so he can't see you."</p> + +<p>All that day Billy and Nanny stayed with the other goats who +never tired of hearing the new-comers tell of the adventures they +had had, some of which seemed impossible to those country goats +who had never been off their own farm.</p> + +<p>That evening when the farmer drove the goats home he did not +notice Billy and Nan until he had got them into the little +enclosure where he always drove them to be fed; but when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> he +stood by the fence with his arm on the upper rail counting them, +his eye detected Billy immediately as he was so much taller than +any of the other goats, even old Satan, the leader.</p> + +<p>"Ho, Ho!" he thought to himself, "where did this fine goat come +from, I wonder," and when he went to drive Billy apart to get a +good look at him he spied Nanny who was trying to hide behind +Billy.</p> + +<p>"So my fine goat, you have brought your mate with you?" And Billy +who was not afraid of any man or thing, bleated back that he had, +though I doubt whether the man understood him or not.</p> + +<p>The man walked round and round Billy taking in all his fine points +and talking to himself all the time, but when he saw the gilt +shining on Billy's horns he stopped and stared in astonishment. +Then he slapped his knee with his hand and said: "Well, I swan! I +bet that goat has run away from the circus that is in town for I +don't know how else he got his horns gilded."</p> + +<p>Everything went smooth as silk for three nights but on the +fourth, had you been looking you would have seen an unusual +commotion among the goats when they were turned loose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> after +milking time to graze in the meadow during the night, as they +were allowed to do when the weather was fine; and to-night was an +ideal night with a low hungry moon that lit up everything as +bright as day.</p> + +<p>I know you are anxious to hear what the commotion was all about, +so will tell you. Billy and Nanny were to be married by the old +parson goat of the flock, and then they were all going to break +through the neighbor's fence into his turnip patch and eat up all +his turnips.</p> + +<p>It is needless to say that this scheme originated in Billy's +head, though from Satan's name you would have imagined it more +likely to have come from him; but in reality that goat was as +meek as a lamb and Satan should have been Billy's name by rights +for in his heart he was as mischievous as Satan.</p> + +<p>The wedding went off beautifully and the groom, minister and all +the others kissed the bride and you never saw a sweeter one than +poor little meek Nanny with her gentle ways; and to think she was +going to marry a goat twice her size and as fiery tempered as she +was mild! But people frequently marry their opposites, and why +should not goats?</p> + +<p>After the wedding they all ran skipping and jumping over to the +turnip patch and when they got there Billy, Satan and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> two other +old goats threw their weight against the fence and with a crash +it caved in and the whole flock of goats climbed over the broken +rails into the field where they feasted until daylight.</p> + +<p>The farmer who owned the field happened to look out of his window +next morning while dressing and saw the goats. He hurried into +his boots, and hatless and coatless, started out of the house +calling to his dogs to follow him.</p> + +<p>And the first thing the flock knew, several dogs were barking and +biting at their heels. Billy kept close to Nan and when a dog +came up to them he hooked him howling up into the air. Soon the +goats were all on their side of the fence again and the neighbor +was fixing up his fence as best he could, scolding all the time +he did so, saying:</p> + +<p>"I'll sue Farmer Windlass for the damage his pesky goats have +done, so I will, for the hateful things have eaten up all my +turnips, tops and all!"</p> + +<p>Several days after this when the goats were all in the meadow, +and Nanny was lying down under a tree for a nap, Billy, who was +tired of the monotony of going day after day to the same place, +stole off and went up to the house to see what amusement he could +find.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p> + +<p>When nearly there he came to a white-washed rail fence that +separated the pasture from the lane that led to the house. This +he went over easily by taking it at a running jump. Then he +followed the lane until he came to the house, the yard of which +was separated from the lane by a picket fence; but as good luck +would have it the gate was open, so Billy walked in and went +around to the kitchen door for he heard voices in the parlor, +which is an unusual thing in the country as they generally +entertain their company in the sitting room. Immediately Billy +knew they must have company for dinner.</p> + +<p>"I'm lucky," thought Billy, "I have come just in time to get +something good to eat, but I must be careful and not let them see +me or they will drive me back to the pasture. I will walk on the +grass so my hoofs won't make any noise and listen under the +window, and when the cook leaves the kitchen I will go in and +steal something good."</p> + +<p>While standing under the window with his head cocked to one side +listening, he noticed that the outside cellar doors were open. He +started to go down cellar and see what he could find, for he knew +they would put all their good things in the cellar until time to +bring them up to the table.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> + +<p>Tiptoeing his way along, he sneaked down the cellar stairs and +there before him on a table were twelve plates of salad all +garnished and ready to be served. The salad was delicious as it +was cool and crisp and made of chicken served on young lettuce +leaves garnished with radishes. It was so palatable he ate it all +up even licking the plates; he had never been told it was bad +manners to lick your plate.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_080.jpg" width="400" height="363" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Then he saw a floating-island pudding, with the whites of eggs +heaped up high and dotted with candied cherries, floating on the +custard underneath. He ate part of this, getting his head covered +with eggs. Next he spied several cakes covered with icing which +he licked off. Next he saw an ice-cream freezer. Now he had never +seen an ice-cream freezer before so he thought it must contain +something good if he could only get the top off to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> see what was +inside. In trying to get it off he upset the whole thing and as +the ice rattled out on the floor making a terrible noise, he left +everything and ran for the cellar door just in time to escape the +cook who had heard the noise and had come down the inside stairs +to see what was the matter.</p> + +<p>Billy ran around the house and seeing the front door open and no +one around, as they were all in the dining room, he went in and +up stairs. Here he nosed around smelling things and upsetting +things generally, when he came to the bed where the ladies had +laid their wraps. On one of the hats he saw a bunch of green +leaves; of course, he thought them real until he tried to eat +them and the wire stems were in his mouth. Then he tried to eat a +beautiful red rose on another hat with no better success so he +left them, and was just leaving the room when he saw another goat +coming in. He stopped to look at the goat and the other goat +stopped to look back. Then he lowered his horns and shook his +head, which the other goat did also. Now it made Billy mad to +have a goat mock everything he did, so he bleated for him to stop +immediately or he would hook him down the front stair. The other +goat opened his mouth to bleat but no sound came from it and +Billy stared at the new-comer harder than ever but the stranger +goat only stared back. Then Billy bleated, "You<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> get out of here +in double quick time or I will have a fight with you!" The goat +opened its mouth as before but no sound came from it and it +continued to stand in Billy's way and stare right in his face.</p> + +<p>This was too much for Billy. He had given him warning to get out +of the way and he would not, so now he was going to make him, and +he went for the goat intending to butt him out of the door. But +instead of his head feeling the soft side of the goat he hit +something hard which broke in a thousand pieces cutting his head +and making the blood flow down his face. When this happened Billy +knew he had been fooled and had butted his own image in a mirror +and that there had been no goat there.</p> + +<p>The crash brought the ladies from the dining room headed by Mrs. +Windlass but when they got to the foot of the stairs to come up, +they saw a large white goat standing at the top with blood +flowing down his whiskers. The sight of the blood as much as the +goat made one lady faint and all the others ran in different +directions while Billy scampered down and out of the house.</p> + +<p>He was making for the pasture again as fast as he could when he +met a big turkey cock which spread his tail and swelled himself +out intending to keep Billy from passing, but when Billy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> came up +to him he quietly hooked him on top of the shed where he left him +with all the pride knocked out of him and his feathers drooping.</p> + +<p>Billy kept right on and was soon in the pasture. When Nanny saw +her Billy all bloody she commenced to cry and wanted to know who +had shot him. Billy told her he had not been shot and that he had +only cut his head a little on a piece of broken glass. This +explanation satisfied Nanny and she asked no questions. Naturally +Billy did not explain how he had hooked his own image.</p> + +<p>Billy walked over to the little stream that flowed through the +pasture and let the water run over his head and face and soon all +trace of blood was washed away, and when the farmer looked them +over that night to find the goat with the bloody face, that his +wife had told him had done all the mischief, he could find none, +so he took it for granted that some stray goat had come in and +done all the damage, and once again Billy got off without being +punished for his misdeeds.</p> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_083.jpg" width="400" height="119" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_As_a_Performer_in_the_Circus" id="Billy_As_a_Performer_in_the_Circus"></a> +<img src="images/image_084_01.jpg" width="790" height="239" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 125px;"> +<img src="images/image_084_02.jpg" width="125" height="232" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + +<p> day when all the goats were grazing in the pasture, Billy +looked up and saw coming toward them the farmer and a large, fat +man.</p> + +<p>"What can they want?" thought Billy. "I guess I will walk out and +meet them and hear what they are talking about."</p> + +<p>As he came within hearing distance, he heard the farmer say: +"Here he comes now, the one I was telling you about and I don't +think you will have any trouble in teaching him anything you want +to, for he seems very smart and not afraid of 'Old Nick' +himself."</p> + +<p>"That is good," said the circus-man, "for a timid goat is no good +in a circus where they have to be with all the other animals."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span></p> + +<p>"So," thought Billy, "this is a man from the circus up in town +and he is thinking of buying me and making me perform in his +circus. Well, I guess not," and he kicked up his heels in their +faces and skipped off to the other side of the stream where they +could not get him.</p> + +<p>"It takes three to make a bargain where there is a goat in the +case," said Billy to himself, "and I will give them a good chase +if they try to catch me. And should they catch me, I pity the men +and animals at the circus when I get there for I shall use my +sharp horns to advantage and split a hole in their old tent and +come back to Nanny. Now they are looking at Satan, maybe the man +will buy him. No, I am afraid he won't for he is shaking his head +and pointing at me and here they come. The farmer is holding out +his hand as if he had something in it for me to eat. Oh, no, Mr. +Farmer, I am too old a goat to be caught with chaff. However, I +will stand still on this side of the stream and see what they +will do."</p> + +<p>And there Billy stood with his head raised waiting for them and +he made as fine a picture of a goat as you ever saw, standing on +a little green knoll with the silvery stream running at his feet.</p> + +<p>The circus-man was delighted with him for he was almost<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> twice +the size of any other goat he had ever seen, and he thought how +fine he would look dressed up as a professor with his long, silky +beard.</p> + +<p>By this time the men were directly opposite Billy and he noticed +that the circus-man kept his hands behind him all the time, but +presently he drew them forward and in one he held a rope with a +long loop in it.</p> + +<p>"So, ho," thought Billy, "he expects to tie that rope around my +neck, does he? Well, let him cross the stream and catch me +first."</p> + +<p>But while Billy was thinking this the circus-man was making the +rope fly round and round his head in a long circle, and soon with +a quick twist, the rope straightened out and the loop fell over +Billy's head and settled on his neck while he stood looking at +them.</p> + +<p>Billy was the most surprised goat you ever saw, for it was the +first time he had ever seen a lasso thrown and had he only known +it, the circus-man had been a cowboy in his younger days and +lassoed many head of cattle. When Billy found he was fairly +caught, his pride had a fall, for he had thought himself too +smart to be caught, and instead of him leading the men a chase +and making them cross the brook to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> get him, they were pulling +him off the bank and through the water, making him follow them.</p> + +<p>At first he tried to pull back and get away, but he had to give +that up, for the rope tightened round his neck and shut off his +breath and he was glad enough to follow where they led.</p> + +<p>When Nanny saw what had happened she ran up to Billy bleating as +if her heart would break for she was very fond of him, and she +was afraid they were going to kill him or take him away forever.</p> + +<p>"Don't cry, Nanny. I will get loose and come back to-night, or +to-morrow night sure, if I can't get loose to-night; so don't +take on so. I know my way back and a circus tent is not a hard +thing to get out of."</p> + +<p>"But, Billy dear, they may tie you as they have now, and then you +can't get loose," said Nanny.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes I can, when they leave me alone, I can chew the rope in +two."</p> + +<p>"But can't I go with you, Billy? I feel so terribly at being left +alone and, think of it, we have not been married two weeks."</p> + +<p>"What a pretty face that little Nanny goat has," said the +circus-man.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes," answered the farmer, "they both came to the pasture one +day and joined my goats and have been here ever since. I never +knew where they came from, or whom they belonged to."</p> + +<p>"Well, here we are at the barn, you must run back, little Nanny; +I can't take you with me to-day, though it does seem a shame to +separate you two lovers," said the circus-man.</p> + +<p>As Billy went through the bars he halted a second to give Nanny a +last good-bye kiss; and with the tears streaming down her face, +Nanny stood and watched him until they were out of sight.</p> + +<p>The circus-man tied Billy to the back of his buggy and whipping +up his horse he started for town. Billy had to run fast to keep +up and though he got out of breath, he could not stop unless the +horse did. The worst of it was the horse kicked up such a +dreadful dust that it nearly blinded Billy as it flew up in his +face from under the buggy. At last they came to the outskirts of +the town, where the circus tents were pitched, and Billy was +untied from the buggy and led inside a large tent where cages of +wild animals were arranged around the outer edge, while in the +center two elephants and four camels were tethered. When he got +inside, the circus-man<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> called to one of the men to bring him a +strong peg. This he drove into the ground and tethered Billy to +it, like all the other animals were fastened. Then he told the +man to bring him a bunch of straw for the goat to lie on, and a +bundle of hay for him to eat.</p> + +<p>"Hay," thought Billy, "after nice tender young grass and turnips! +Well, I won't stay here long, that is one sure thing. I wonder if +I can understand a word of what these heathen, foreign animals +say, but I expect I can read their minds, if I can't understand +their tongues for most animals are mind readers and mind is the +same the world over, though their thoughts are not the same."</p> + +<p>While Billy was thinking this, the circus-man and the other man +left the tent and Billy was startled by the elephant sticking his +trunk up to Billy's mouth and asking him to speak through it, as +he was a little deaf and used his trunk as an ear trumpet. He was +just going to introduce himself to the elephant and ask the +elephant's name in return, when one of the camels in a weak, +weary voice asked the same question he had been going to ask the +elephant; so he introduced himself to the camel and she in return +presented him to all the other animals that were within hearing +distance. She did not introduce him to any of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> the beasts in the +cages, as she said the animals that were loose looked down upon +the caged ones and seldom spoke to them. The name of one of the +camels was Miss Nancy, and she was a regular old maid of a camel, +who did nothing but gossip and ask questions.</p> + +<p>"Have you ever performed in a circus or traveled with one +before?" she asked Billy. When hearing that he had not, she +rolled up her eyes, a habit she had, and exclaimed: "Poor +uneducated beast, what you have missed, never to have been taught +to perform in a circus." This was a calamity in her eyes. She +could not remember ever being anywhere else, as she had been born +in a circus in this country shortly after her mother had been +brought here from Persia.</p> + +<p>"I am so glad I was not born in Persia, for had I been I should +have had to carry heavy loads and cross the burning desert with +very little water to drink. While now, all I have to do is to +march in the processions and then stand and look wise while the +boys feed me peanuts as they walk into the circus to see the +performance. Oh, you will like being with us when you get used to +the confinement," she said.</p> + +<p>"For mercy sakes! Nancy, do keep still and give some one else a +chance to talk," said her mother.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p> + +<p>Just then the lion roared and when he roared, all the other +animals stopped talking for he was still looked upon as king of +the beasts although he was caged. They all stood a little in awe +of him for fear he would break through his cage and chew them up, +as he threatened to do so many times when they did not stop +talking immediately when he roared.</p> + +<p>This time he roared to know who the new comer was and if he was +an American relative of his, for as Billy had a beard like the +lion's, only much longer, the lion thought he must be an American +lion.</p> + +<p>"Come over here, near my cage, Mr. Beardy, where I can see you," +said the lion.</p> + +<p>"I can't," said Billy, "my rope is too short."</p> + +<p>"Oh, very well," he roared back, "I will see you in the +procession, to-morrow, for I hear you are to march back of my +cage."</p> + +<p>The lion's keeper came in to see what the lion was roaring about +and in passing Billy he stopped to get a good look at him, and +presently he was joined by another man, who Billy found out took +the part of the clown and who was expected to walk by Billy's +side in the procession while a monkey rode his back.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You are a pretty fine looking goat, old fellow, and I expect we +will become great friends. Here is a lump of sugar to begin our +friendship with, or do you prefer tobacco?" said the clown.</p> + +<p>"He seems like a nice man," thought Billy, "but I never thought +to see the day when I would march in a procession with a monkey +on my back and a clown at my side, and I don't know whether I +will allow him to ride or not, but I guess I will behave for +awhile and see what life is like under a circus tent."</p> + +<p>The next day dawned bright and fair and there was great commotion +throughout the circus, getting ready for the eleven o'clock +procession that was to march through the streets. Early in the +morning, Billy was led into the sawdust ring, and a peculiar +saddle like a little platform was strapped to his back. This the +monkey was to dance on, dressed as a ballet girl, with yellow, +spangled skirts, a satin bodice and a blue cap with a feather in +it on his head.</p> + +<p>When Billy first saw the monkey in this dress walking on his hind +legs toward him to get on his back, he had a good mind to toss +him up to the top of the tent, he felt so disgusted; but his +curiosity got the better of him and he decided to wait and see +what they expected him to do next. He soon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> found out. They +wanted him to trot around the ring, and not jump when the ring +master cracked his long lashed whip at him, while the monkey +danced on his back and jumped through paper rings, as the lady +circus riders do.</p> + +<p>"This is very easy," thought Billy, "I don't mind this in the +least, only I don't want to go around too many times one way for +it makes me dizzy."</p> + +<p>"That will do for this morning, Billy, you are a good goat," said +the man. Just then the monkey jumped off Billy's back, and as he +ran past him, he gave Billy's beard a pull. Like a shot Billy was +after him and had the monkey not run up a pole, Billy would have +killed him. From that time on, Billy and the monkey, whose name +was Jocko, hated each other and an outward peace was only kept up +when someone was around to keep them apart.</p> + +<p>The monkey would climb a pole or sit on top of a wagon, or +anything high that was handy, so Billy could not reach him and +then call him names and sauce him until Billy pawed the earth +with rage, which made the monkey laugh. The only one that could +get even with the monkey's tongue was the parrot, and she and the +monkey would sit and sauce each other by the hour.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> + +<p>Billy was about cooled down from his fuss with the monkey, when +he heard a bugle call and the elephant told him that it was the +signal for the procession to start. While Billy had been put +through his paces in the circus ring, the elephants had been +decked out in scarlet blankets embroidered with gold and funny +little summer houses, as Billy thought, strapped to their backs, +in which ladies were to ride. The camels had also been fixed up, +and from four to six horses, with waving plumes on their heads, +had been hitched to each circus wagon.</p> + +<p>At another signal from the bugle, they all started to move, led by +the men and women performers, dressed in their best spangled +velvet suits. Then came what Billy thought to be the best thing in +the procession, a golden chariot drawn by twelve Shetland ponies, +each pony ridden by a little boy postilion, in scarlet velvet; +while in the chariot sat a beautiful, little, golden-haired girl, +dressed as a queen, with a diamond crown on her head.</p> + +<p>It fairly took Billy's breath away, he thought it all so +beautiful, and he started to follow.</p> + +<p>"All right, Jim, let him go there if he wants to. He probably +thinks the ponies are goats and will behave better than if put +with the lions."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What an idiot that man is!" thought Billy, "to think I don't +know a pony from a goat."</p> + +<p>It was a good thing they let him march there for he was so taken +up with watching the ponies in front of him that he forgot to be +mad at Jocko, who was going through all sorts of antics on his +back and swinging on Billy's horns. Everything was going smoothly +when Billy saw Mike O'Hara coming out of the crowd; he came up to +the clown that was walking beside him and said: "Look here, that +is my goat!"</p> + +<p>"Well, I guess not, you must be crazy."</p> + +<p>"I'll prove it to you," said Mike. "Do you see that black spot on +his forehead and that he has one black hoof and all the others +are white?"</p> + +<p>"That don't prove anything," said the clown. "You just noticed +that as we were walking along, and now you come up here and try +to claim our goat."</p> + +<p>"I'll give you another proof," said Mike. "He will come when I +call him."</p> + +<p>"All right, call him, and I bet he won't follow you," said the +clown.</p> + +<p>Mike held out his hand and called him by name, but Billy did not +turn an inch though he knew he belonged to Mike. He did<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> not +propose to go with him and be made to pull milk carts. He +preferred to stay where he was as he liked the excitement of a +circus life.</p> + +<p>When Billy did not go to Mike, it made the clown laugh and he +said: "There, I told you so. The goat never saw you before."</p> + +<p>"Yes, he has," said Mike, "but it is just like his cussedness to +pretend he don't know me."</p> + +<p>"Go along, I can't bother talking to you any more," said the +clown, as all this time Mike had been walking beside the clown as +they marched.</p> + +<p>"Well, you need not talk to me any more," said Mike, "but I am +going to have my goat." And with that he caught hold of Billy's +horns and was going to lead him away.</p> + +<p>"Here, take your hands off that goat, you are stopping the +procession!" But Mike held on and the clown gave him a hit in the +ribs. Mike struck back and a policeman, who was standing in the +crowd, ran out and arrested Mike for disorderly conduct and for +stopping the procession. This was the second time that Mike had +been arrested on Billy's account.</p> + +<p>When the procession returned to the tents, all the animals and +horses were fed and allowed to rest so as to be fresh<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> for the +afternoon's performance. Billy had been resting only a short +time, when a couple of men came toward him, one carrying a table +and the other a long black gown of some kind.</p> + +<p>"What in the world are they going to do now," thought Billy.</p> + +<p>When they came up to him, the man that was carrying the table put +it down and then brought a high backed arm chair and set it up +close to the table. Then the men came up to Billy and one of them +said: "Now, old fellow, we are going to make a professor out of +you," and with that they both took hold of him and made him stand +on his hind legs while they put the black gown on him and a black +skull cap on his head, and a pair of spectacles on his nose,—the +latter they had to tie on. Then a man got on each side of him and +supported him to the table where they made him sit in the chair. +They put his forehoofs on the table and a large book before him +and a pen behind his ears. When they had him all fixed, you never +saw such a wise looking professor in your life as he made, with +his long, white beard. The men were so delighted with his +appearance and the way he behaved when dressed up, that they +called all the rest of the circus people<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> to come and look. Of +course they laughed and praised and petted Billy, until he was +nearly bursting with conceit and they all agreed that it would +tickle the children most to death to see how solemn and straight +a goat could sit in a chair.</p> + +<p>"Now Billy, we will take these things off and let you rest for +your back must be tired as you are not used to sitting up, but +you will get used to it and it won't make you tired after awhile. +Come here, and I will give you this nice red apple for being such +a good goat. You behaved so nicely that I think we will venture +to show you off at the performance this afternoon."</p> + +<p>This they did and he got more encores and whistles and clapping +of hands than anything else that was shown that afternoon, more +even than the ponies. Before they brought him in, the Ring Master +came in and said: "Now ladies and gentlemen, I am about to +introduce to you the oldest and most wonderful astrologer now +living. He will read to you, from a mystic book, the fate of the +world and whether it is to be destroyed by fire or water."</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_099.jpg" width="400" height="403" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>When he had finished speaking, four men drew a platform in, on +which Billy was seated in his chair at the table. But<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> the +strangest part of it all was, that when everything was still and +the crowd were all watching him, he commenced to read and turn +the pages of the book, and he spoke so plainly that everyone +could understand and hear. This surely was wonderful, and the +children could not make up their minds whether it was a man with +goat's horns, for his long horns stuck out through two holes on +either side of his cap, or a goat with a man's voice; and when +the Ring Master told the children that the professor had just +dropped from the sign of the Zodiac called Capricorn, which is +represented in all the almanacs by a goat, they thought he must +be telling the truth. He did not tell them that hidden under the +platform was a man that did the talking, and when the leaves of +the book<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> turned, that he was pulling a string which made them +turn over, but everyone thought the goat was doing it himself.</p> + +<p>After the performance was over, all the children as they passed +fed Billy peanuts, candy, pop-corn and apples as he stood by the +elephant.</p> + +<p>Billy had behaved like a lamb for days and gone through all his +performances without a hitch,—in fact he had become the pet of +the circus, and allowed to roam about at will and was never tied +not even at night. So this night after all had settled down and +gone to bed, Billy, feeling wakeful, thought he would move around +a little and take a peep into the other tents. First he stuck his +nose into a little tent where they sold pop-corn, peanuts, +lemonade etc., during the performances.</p> + +<p>"Now is my chance," thought Billy, "to eat all the pop-corn I +want, for I never have gotten enough to satisfy me at any one +time, but how can I get it out of that glass case. It looks so +easy to get at and smells so good, I must have some, even if I +have to break the glass to get at it."</p> + +<p>He stood licking the glass for a little while; then his greed +getting the better of him, he backed off and gave the glass a +quick hard knock with his horns. It broke and flew in all +directions and let the pop-corn roll out in a perfect stream. +Billy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> stopped to listen a minute to see if the noise of the +breaking glass had brought anyone to see what was the matter, and +when no one came, he commenced to eat the salted and buttered +corn, and he ate until for once in his life he could say he had +had enough. But, oh my! what a thirst it had given him, and he +did not know where to get a drink unless he went and stole it out +of the elephant's tub of water, but he did not like to go there +as the elephant's keeper slept near his charge and he might catch +him and tie him up.</p> + +<p>Billy was just leaving the tent when he ran into a large tin +water cooler. It took but a minute to push the top off with his +nose and then he began to drink. But what was the matter with the +water? It had turned sour and had round pieces of yellow, sour +stuff floating in it; it was his first taste of lemonade, +consequently he did not know what he was drinking.</p> + +<p>In his disgust at finding no water, he revenged himself by +upsetting the water cooler and spilling all the lemonade. Then he +walked out and going into the first tent he came to, he found +himself in the room of the leading lady who was fast asleep on a +cot. At the end of the tent he saw a small table with a +looking-glass hanging above it, but when Billy saw his reflection +in it, he did not make the mistake of thinking it was another<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> +goat like he had once before. He walked up to the table and +seeing a stick of red stuff that looked like candy, he ate it, +but it turned out to be a stick of red paint that the leading +lady used to paint her lips. After tasting her powder, and +upsetting her bottle of perfumery, and chewing her blonde wig, +thinking it some kind of yellow grass, he walked out without +awakening her.</p> + +<p>Next he went into a tent that had pictures of snakes of all kinds +painted on it. This was the tent occupied by the snake charmers, +but Billy knew nothing about large snakes, only little inoffensive +garter snakes, so he went in and commenced nosing around in the +baskets he saw setting there with blankets in them to see what was +under the blankets.</p> + +<p>In the first one, he felt something cold and slippery and not to +his taste, so he let it alone, thinking it a piece of garden +hose; but when he stuck his nose in the next basket something +long and slim and pliable stuck its head out and wound itself +around his body drawing itself tighter and tighter, until Billy +found himself staggering for want of breath. When he was nearly +squeezed to death he made a death-like groan which awoke the +Indian snake charmer who was asleep in one corner of the tent on +a pile of rugs. The man took in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> situation at a glance, and +came to Billy's rescue, making the snake uncoil itself by playing +on a kind of bagpipe, a queer, weird, monotonous piece of music. +This charmed the snake and it uncoiled itself from Billy and, +swaying its body, crawled toward the snake charmer.</p> + +<p>The second that Billy felt its coils slip from his body, he took +a long breath and ran from the tent not even stopping to wiggle +his head in thanks for his preservation. Once outside, he made +his way back to his own tent where he lay down on his pile of +straw to snatch a little sleep before daylight, as unconcerned as +if nothing had happened.</p> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_039.jpg" width="600" height="88" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"> +<img src="images/image_104_01.jpg" width="790" height="202" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 139px;"><a name="Billy_and_the_Snakes" id="Billy_and_the_Snakes"></a> +<img src="images/image_104_02.jpg" width="139" height="319" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="smcap"> next</span> day after Billy's midnight prowl which was Saturday, +there was great commotion among the circus people, for the +leading lady accused her rival, the brunette, of coming into her +dressing room while she slept and destroying her blonde wig; +while the pop-corn man said thieves had been at his stand and +broken his glass case and eaten his pop-corn, beside they had +spilled all his lemonade that he had intended using the next day; +the night watchman was going to be discharged for not attending +to his business; then the Indian snake charmer came along and +told them the thief had visited his tent but his snakes had +frightened him away.</p> + +<p>"And he was a big fellow I can tell you. I did not dare tackle +him."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh my!" said the leading lady, "and to think he was in my tent +and I slept through it all."</p> + +<p>"There, I told you I did not touch your old straw colored wig!" +said the brunette.</p> + +<p>And they all said, "Do tell us all about it, what time of the +night did he come, and which way did he go when he ran away?"</p> + +<p>"All right," said the snake charmer, with a twinkle in his eye +the others did not see, "sit down and I will tell you all about +it,—how I was awakened by a groan, and saw standing in the +middle of my tent, a huge fellow, with a long, white beard and +white, agonized face; for you must know that my boa-constrictor +was squeezing him to death."</p> + +<p>"Oh, how awful! Weren't you frightened?" said the leading-lady.</p> + +<p>"No, because I knew he could not touch me while the snake was +coiled around him. At first I thought I would let the boa kill +him, but he looked so awful with his eyes sticking out of his +head, as the snake squeezed him tighter and tighter, that I felt +sorry for him; so I began to play the music I always play when I +want the snakes to come to me, and the boa stopped squeezing the +goat and came to me."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Goat, did you say? You mean burglar."</p> + +<p>"No, I mean goat, or <i>burglar</i> if you would rather call him so, +for your thief was nothing more or less than Billy Whiskers."</p> + +<p>"You mean, horrid man to fool us so!" they all said.</p> + +<p>And the snake charmer got up and hurried out of the tent for he +saw blood in the eye of the champion boxer and he thought he had +better get out before the man took hold of him.</p> + +<p>Saturday was to be the last day of the circus in Smithville and +immediately after the evening performance they were to break camp +and move in the night, and be on the road all day Sunday +traveling to the next town, where they were booked to give a +performance on Monday morning.</p> + +<p>Now all this meant quick work and rapid travel, as they could not +go by train, there being no railroad to this town, so they had to +have their circus horses and wagons move them.</p> + +<p>When Billy heard them talking about moving, he thought it would +be great fun and looked forward to it with pleasure. But he +little knew what was before him.</p> + +<p>During the morning performance Billy behaved all right, but in the +afternoon he was so excited and anxious to be off that he behaved +very badly. He ran around the ring so fast that when the monkey +jumped through the paper hoops ex<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>pecting to land on Billy's back, +he was beyond him and the monkey landed on the ground and had to +run to catch up. This made the ring-master angry and he hit Billy +a sharp cut with his whip, but instead of making him behave better +he got worse and worse. He would stand still and shake himself +until he nearly made the monkey's bones crack; and when the +ring-master hit him, he stood on his hind legs and the monkey had +to cling to his horns to keep from falling off. When Billy found +he could not throw the monkey, he ran for the pole in the center +of the ring that supported the tent, and tried to butt him off but +the monkey was too quick for him and dodged every time. At last +Billy tried rolling with him, but this the ring-master could not +allow as it would ruin the saddle strapped to his back. He gave +him a few good cuts with the whip that stung like everything and +this turned Billy's wrath from the monkey to him, and like a shot +he was up and after the ring-master. He planted his horns in the +middle of the ring-master's back and ran him to the edge of the +ring where he gave him a butt that sent him flying to the other +tent.</p> + +<p>Billy was punished for this and told he should have no supper, +and he understood what they said although they did not suppose he +did.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span></p> + +<p>"All right," he thought, "no supper, no performance, for I won't +behave and take my part unless I am fed. But I will find +something to eat even if they won't feed me, for a goat can eat +almost anything from tin cans to apples."</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_108.jpg" width="400" height="374" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>The man who had tied Billy had scarcely gotten out of sight when +he commenced to chew his rope in two and when it dropped apart, +Billy walked over and commenced to eat the elephant's food. This +the elephant did not like. He told Billy to stop and go eat his +own supper, but Billy would not, neither would he take the +trouble to explain to the elephant that he hadn't any supper and +was expected to go supperless. Now if he had only told the +elephant, who had always<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> been a good friend of his, he would +gladly have given him half of his supper; but Billy was in a +contrary mood and would say nothing, but kept on eating. This +provoked the elephant, so he quietly wound his trunk around Mr. +Billy and lifting him from the ground, set him on top of the +lion's cage that was standing near. Billy was more surprised when +he found himself standing on top of the lion's cage than he had +ever been in his life, but only for a minute for he jumped down +and disappeared through a tear in the canvas of the tent. As he +ran away he heard all the animals laughing, though you might have +called it the lion's roar and the hyena's call, and above all the +racket he heard the head animal keeper asking what all this +racket was about; and although they all tried to tell him by each +giving his particular call, he was too stupid to understand +animal talk, so lost all the fun of the joke.</p> + +<p>When Billy came through the side of the tent, he found himself +near the tent where the horses and ponies were kept. Smelling +corn and oats, he walked in, and while talking to his particular +friends, the Shetland ponies, he helped himself to their supper.</p> + +<p>While in this tent he became acquainted with a little Mexican +Burroetta that was destined to become his closest com<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>panion and +friend in the future. The Burroetta was just his height, of a +mouse color, with a white streak down its spine and four white +stockinged feet, but the most peculiar thing about its looks was +its exceedingly long ears,—ears that were as long as Billy's +horns. It was the cutest, smartest little creature you ever saw, +and had most beautiful, large, liquid eyes. It looked as mild as +a dove, but was quite deceiving for it was as full of the "old +scratch" as Billy himself. It must have been this kindred spirit +that drew them together from the first.</p> + +<p>That night the people had come to the circus; looked at the +animals and passed into the performing tent; several of the +things on the programme had been gone through with and it was +Billy's turn to perform next and still Billy had not been found.</p> + +<p>Every man and woman on the place had been looking for him, but +though they had hunted everywhere and inquired of every one if he +had seen a large, white goat with long whiskers, no one had seen +him and they were about to substitute something else for his +performance when one of the men, coming into the ponies' tent for +something, saw Billy lying down by the little Burroetta.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Here Billy, you rascal, come along with me. We have been looking +everywhere for you."</p> + +<p>And Billy was led off and made to go through his performance. But +to-night he was cross and still angry with the ring-master. So +when about through with his imitation of the professor, he leaned +over and took a mouthful of the leaves of the book and chewed +them up. Then he stood up in his chair with his gown and +spectacles on, and before anyone could stop him he had jumped +down and ran out of the tent, with the spectacles still on his +nose and his gown trailing after him.</p> + +<p>The excitement and confusion this caused in the circus knew no +bounds. And when the children discovered that the astrologer was +nothing more or less than an ordinary goat, and that his voice +had come from a man, who was a ventriloquist, hid under the +platform, their disgust was complete and it broke up the circus +performance for that night.</p> + +<p>Billy chewed, wriggled and pulled at his gown until he tore it +off and then he kicked up his heels and disappeared in the +darkness outside; and he was careful to keep in the shadows away +from the light, so no one could see him, for he had sense enough +to know that he had done wrong and would be punished if caught.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="What_Billy_Did_on_Sunday" id="What_Billy_Did_on_Sunday"></a> +<img src="images/image_112_01.jpg" width="790" height="174" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 110px;"> +<img src="images/image_112_02.jpg" width="110" height="307" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="smcap">illy,</span> after running out of the circus, stood in the shadow of a +shed under a large tree. From his hiding place he could perceive +all that was going on at the circus as it was bright moonlight, +beside all the workmen had lights fastened in their caps so they +could see without the bother of carrying a lantern around.</p> + +<p>First Billy saw them hitch the draft-horses to the animal wagons +and vehicles they had for carrying baggage. Then the big tent +closed as if it were an umbrella, and it was rolled up and put in +a wagon made purposely for hauling it; then all the riding horses +with the men and women performers on their backs, started the +procession. Next came the cages filled with animals and last the +baggage vans and feed wagons.</p> + +<p>After they were well on their way Billy trotted on behind keeping +well in the shadows. They had been crawling silently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> along the +highways like a huge snake for a long while when all of a sudden +the long line came to a sudden halt.</p> + +<p>There was great noise and confusion ahead and, of course, Billy's +curiosity called him to the front immediately to see what was the +matter. In passing the wagons which had been left by their +drivers to go forward and find out the cause of the sudden stop, +Billy accidentally ran into his friend, Senorita Burroetta, which +means Miss Baby Buro, as his friend was called.</p> + +<p>"How are you, Betty?" For in their short acquaintance Billy had +shortened her name to that. "I did not know you with that pack on +your back. Aren't you tired carrying that heavy load?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," answered Betty, "and the girth pinches me. They did not +get it on straight and every time I step it hurts me awfully."</p> + +<p>"Here let me see if I can't fix it," said Billy.</p> + +<p>"Oh never mind, I can stand it, for it isn't the first time they +have buckled a piece of skin in; beside you could not unbuckle it +with your teeth or feet."</p> + +<p>"No, but I can chew the girth in two if you don't mind being +pinched a little more while I am doing it," said Billy.</p> + +<p>So Billy commenced to chew the girth which he could get at easily +where it stuck out from Betty's side to pass over the load on her +back; and we know better than Betty that Billy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> was good at +chewing rope and straps in two. Soon the girth began to give and +Betty swelled herself out and the girth split in two and let the +load on her back slip to the ground.</p> + +<p>Then the goat and Burro ran ahead to see what all the scolding +and loud talking were about. When they got there, they found the +elephant had broken down a little bridge that crossed the narrow +stream and there was no way to get the wagons over. The elephant, +before crossing, had put his forefoot out to try the strength of +the bridge and with a little shake the bridge had collapsed and +dropped into the water. Had he stepped on it without trying it, +he would most likely have been killed for it surely would have +gone down with him on it.</p> + +<p>The only way now to get across was for the wagons to drive down +the steep embankment, through the water and up the other side. +This they proceeded to do, but Billy and Betty jumped the space. +Then they scampered on ahead after the horseback riders who had +gone before.</p> + +<p>As they ran they could hear the lion's roar and the hyena's laugh +when their cages were driven into the water, and the water rose +on them, while the elephants kept up such a trumpeting that it +awoke all the country folks who were near<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> enough to hear it, and +they thought the Day of Judgment had come and it was Gabriel's +trumpet they heard.</p> + +<p>A poor, ignorant Swedish family that lived on the bank of the +stream by the bridge were awakened by the noise but were afraid +to get up and look out of the window to see what all the +commotion was about.</p> + +<p>At last the brave husband by coaxing and threatening succeeded in +getting his wife out of bed. As she had never been to a circus in +her life or seen anything but the picture of wild animals, she +was nearly frightened to death at what she saw passing in the +moonlight, and ran back to bed and put her head under the covers +and would not speak a word, though her husband threatened to kick +her out of bed. Poor woman, she could not tell him what she saw, +for she did not know the name of the animals.</p> + +<p>At last her husband got up courage enough to go to the window and +look out as his wife had, but he stayed less time than she did +for just as he got there the lions gave a mighty roar and all the +animals followed suit, for the lions' cage was passing through +the water and they did not like the cold water crawling up their +legs and of course they thought they were going to be drowned; +while the Swedish workman<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> thought he was going to be chewed up +alive, and flew back to bed with teeth chattering and held on to +his wife for protection; and had a lion really come after them he +would probably have thrown his wife at the lion's head for him to +eat, while he made good his escape.</p> + +<p>All this time Billy and Betty were trotting along side by side +gossiping about people in the circus, and all the time it became +lighter and lighter as it was getting nearer sunrise.</p> + +<p>About five o'clock they saw, away in the blue distance, a tall +church steeple and they knew they must be nearing the town where +the circus was to be held.</p> + +<p>As they came nearer they could hear the sound of the church bell +ring out on the stillness, calling the people to early morning +mass, and soon they could see the people going to church, and the +mothers take their children by the hand and pull them into the +church as they did not want them to see anything so wicked as a +circus procession on Sunday morning.</p> + +<p>Billy noticing this, said, "Let us give the children a treat. +When the people are all in the church we will walk in and see +what it looks like inside."</p> + +<p>The two mischief-makers hung around out of sight, until the +people had stopped going in, then they walked boldly into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> +vestibule. Here they saw a marble basin filled with clear, +cool-looking water. They stopped and drank it, not knowing it was +the holy water the Catholics cross themselves with before +entering church.</p> + +<p>The church aisle was separated from the vestibule only by two +green baize doors. These Billy and Betty pushed open with their +noses and while the organ was playing and the priests were +kneeling, Billy and Betty walked the whole length of the middle +aisle, side by side, as if they were a bridal couple. When they +arrived at the altar, Billy stopped and commenced to eat some +roses that were in a vase on the altar steps.</p> + +<p>The congregation sat stupefied with horror to see these animals +in church and directly behind the kneeling priest and choir boys. +The music made Betty lonesome and she threw up her head and let +out such a loud, mule-like bray that it frightened the kneeling +priest and he jumped up as if shot for he thought he had heard +Balaam's ass bray; but when he turned and saw standing behind him +a live burro and a goat, his astonishment knew no bounds and he +stood gazing at them with open mouth, while the choir boys +laughed and giggled and thought it a good joke.</p> + +<p>Soon the ushers and deacons came to their senses enough to come +forward and try to drive the beasts out. But when Billy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> saw them +coming he ran up the altar steps into the pulpit, and Betty ran +through the first door she saw open, which proved not to be the +outer door but one which led into the room where the choir boys +dressed.</p> + +<p>When Betty appeared there, the boys laughed and screamed and +drove her out into the church again, and kicking up her heels she +ran out of the church, braying for Billy. When Billy saw her go +he ran down the altar steps, upsetting a near-sighted deacon who +was coming up to help drive him out, and bleating to Betty that +he was coming he rushed through the door.</p> + +<p>They trotted along side by side down the street until they came +to a beautiful place surrounded by a tall, iron fence. Through +the fence they could see a large, brick residence with a cupola +on top. On one side of the house was the flower garden, while on +the other a fruit patch and vegetable garden. And oh, how good +the fresh, green lettuce and beet tops looked to these tired, +hungry travelers.</p> + +<p>"Let us go in and help ourselves," said Billy.</p> + +<p>"We can't get through the fence," said Betty, "and it is too high +to jump."</p> + +<p>"You remind me of Nanny, for she was always finding objections +and obstacles to everything I wanted to do."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, who in the world is Nanny? I should like to know," said +Betty.</p> + +<p>"Why haven't I told you about her?" asked Billy.</p> + +<p>"No, you have not, Billy Whiskers, and I should like to know +right away."</p> + +<p>"Well, I will tell you, Senorita Burroetta, and you need not be +so cross about it either. She is my wife and a sweeter, dearer +little wife no goat ever had before!"</p> + +<p>Betty stopped stock still in the road and glared at Billy for a +second, before she could speak from astonishment. Then she said: +"Billy Whiskers you are a gay deceiver and you know you never +told me you were married and I am sure I always thought you were +a bachelor."</p> + +<p>"I am very sorry if it makes any difference to you, but I never +told you because we have been so busy talking of other things and +I have not had a chance."</p> + +<p>"Oh, very well then," said Betty, "I will forgive you if you did +not mean to keep it from me."</p> + +<p>So the two made up and commenced to look for a gate or way to get +into the garden. At last they saw where an iron bar or two of the +fence had been broken, making quite a good-sized hole and through +this they squeezed themselves<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> and were soon having a feast off +of Deacon Jones's prize cabbages, lettuce and beets, while the +family, including the Deacon, were at church.</p> + +<p>They were still eating when they heard the iron gates shut with a +clang and looking up they saw the Deacon coming toward them, +swinging his cane in frantic anger, showing that he had already +forgotten his Sunday-school lesson: "Let not your angry passions +rise."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image_120.jpg" width="500" height="546" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Billy, with a mouthful of carrots, started to run toward the +stables, trusting to find a way out and Betty with a twist of her +body and a squeal followed after him.</p> + +<p>They were just going into the barn, the door of which was +standing open, when a little, yellow dog ran out at them and +commenced to bark and bite at Betty's heels. She let one foot fly +out quickly behind and Mr. Doggie went rolling over in the dirt, +and at that minute Billy spied a little open<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> gate that led into +the orchard and through this they both ran with the Deacon and +dog still after them.</p> + +<p>When they got to the other side of the orchard they came to a +rail fence. This Billy took at one jump, breaking the top rail as +he went over, and it was a good thing he did for it helped Betty +get over as she was not as high a jumper as Billy.</p> + +<p>They were over the fence and a good way down the road before the +deacon got to the fence, and then he was so out of breath from +running that he gave up the chase, called off his dog, and +throwing two or three stones at them, turned and walked slowly +back to the garden to see what damage they had done.</p> + +<p>Billy and Betty wandered around all day and at night went to +sleep in a straw stack on the outskirts of the town.</p> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_121.jpg" width="600" height="65" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="What_Billy_Did_on_Monday" id="What_Billy_Did_on_Monday"></a> +<img src="images/image_122_01.jpg" width="790" height="249" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 106px;"> +<img src="images/image_122_02.jpg" width="106" height="308" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + + +<p><span class="smcap"> day</span> Sunday the circus people worked to get their tents up and +everything in shape for the Monday's performances, and when at +night they went to look over the animals to see if all were there +they missed Billy and Betty.</p> + +<p>"Now there will be the dickens to pay," said the animal keeper, +"if that goat can't be found for he has been the means of +bringing more children to the circus than anything else we have +had for them."</p> + +<p>"I will eat my shirt off if I know where to look for him! You can +bet your life he is a good one on a hide."</p> + +<p>"You and I will have to go hunt him, John, so go saddle two +horses and we will start out. He must have turned into some of +the lanes we passed on our way here, and coaxed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> Betty off with +him. They could easily get away without being noticed when the +bridge broke down. You search the town and I will take the road +and lanes."</p> + +<p>While the men were looking for the two runaways, they were +quietly grazing along the road that led to the town.</p> + +<p>Now Billy got tired of the quiet and said, "Come Betty, let's go +into the town and see the sights and have some fun, and maybe we +can find a grocery store where there are good things setting +outside to eat, or a fruit stand," for Billy had not forgotten +how luscious the pears and peaches had tasted that he had stolen +from a fruit stand one day.</p> + +<p>This was agreeable to Betty and the two trotted along side by +side toward the town. Presently they came to a large sign-board +on which pictures of the circus were posted. There Billy spied +himself pictured as trotting along with the monkey riding on his +back and jumping through the paper hoops.</p> + +<p>At sight of the monkey Billy got mad, as usual, and before Betty +knew what he was going to do, he ran up to the fence and +commenced trying to butt it down, calling to Betty to come help +kick it over.</p> + +<p>They were thus employed when a farmer came along the road and, +seeing them, took out his whip and drove them off.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span></p> + +<p>They ran along before him for a while and then dropped back until +he had passed them. As soon as he had passed, Billy spied on the +back of his wagon a large basket of celery with the tops sticking +out over the edge.</p> + +<p>"Look, Betty, look!" cried Billy, pointing his nose in the +direction of the wagon. "Let's follow on behind and eat up his +celery. It will be a good joke on him." And the two scampered +after the farmer and soon caught up, for he was driving slowly; +and he could not see them for the things that were piled up high +behind him.</p> + +<p>When the two rascals caught up to the wagon they ate all the +celery they wanted, which was more than half of it, as it was +deliciously juicy and tasted fine. They had had no breakfast +except some dusty grass that grew beside the road.</p> + +<p>While they ate the farmer whistled low to himself and planned how +he would sell his celery to the grocery man; and then, with the +money, go to the circus, and see the wonderful astrologer that +was neither goat nor man who was advertised to perform. He little +guessed that the "Wonderful Astrologer" was at that moment eating +up his celery and making it doubtful whether he would have any +left or not.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> + +<p>Billy and Betty were still eating when a dog spied them and ran +out from his yard after them. Billy turned and tried to hook him +but the dog was too quick. He dodged, but in trying to escape +from Billy he got too near Betty's heels and she gave him a kick +in the side that sent him rolling over into the dust, yelping, +and before he could get up Billy helped him up by sticking his +horns under him and tossing him over the fence.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 430px;"><a name="pic_5" id="pic_5"></a> +<img class="img1" src="images/image_043.jpg" width="430" height="544" alt="THE FARMER STOPPED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ROW WAS ABOUT." title="THE FARMER STOPPED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ROW WAS ABOUT." /> +<span class="caption">THE FARMER STOPPED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ROW WAS ABOUT. </span> +</div> + +<p>The owner of the dog saw this and ran out calling for the farmer +to stop or he would have him arrested for allowing his goat to +hook his dog. The farmer stopped to see what all the row was +about, and while the owner of the dog was shaking his fist in the +farmer's face, and the farmer was trying to explain that the goat +and mule, as he called Betty, did not belong to him, Billy and +Betty sneaked off and disappeared down a side road and to their +surprise found themselves facing the circus tents.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image_126.jpg" width="500" height="339" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>If they went forward the circus people would catch them, and if +they went back, the angry man and farmer would be after them. As +they stood discussing which way to go, it was decided for them, +for the animal keeper on his horse turned into the lane behind +them and drove them to the circus in double-quick time with his +long whip.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span></p> + +<p>All the way there he scolded them as he tried to crack them with +his whip, and it was no fun being hit with it as it seemed to +take a piece of flesh out each time it struck.</p> + + + +<p>Betty ran in among the Shetland ponies where she belonged and +Billy dodged into the first tent he saw with the flap open. For a +wonder it turned out to be the one where he belonged, and in less +time than it takes to tell it Billy found himself chained beside +the elephant.</p> + +<p>"There, Master Billy, I guess you won't chew yourself loose in a +hurry again, and have me chasing all over the country for you," +said the animal keeper.</p> + +<p>And to make up for his past bad behavior Billy performed better +the next day than he had at any time.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="What_Billy_Did_on_Tuesday" id="What_Billy_Did_on_Tuesday"></a> +<img src="images/image_127_01.jpg" width="790" height="213" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 114px;"> +<img src="images/image_127_02.jpg" width="114" height="281" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<p> </p> +<p><span class="smcap">uesday</span> turned out to be a dismal, cold, rainy day and Billy was +glad enough to stay quietly in the tent. He thought it would be a +good chance to become better acquainted with the animals in the +cages and he decided to call on them all by beginning at one cage +and visiting each in order until he had completed the circle.</p> + +<p>He could not stay where he was, for Nancy, the old maid camel, +made him nervous; she talked so much, and when she was not +talking she chewed her cud like an old maid chews gum.</p> + +<p>"How can you stand her?" Billy whispered to the elephant.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I have got used to it," said the elephant, "and I don't hear +her half the time, and when she gets <i>too</i> bad I just pull the +flops of my ears down tight to my head, and I can't hear a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> word. +And then I set my trunk to wobbling and make it nod 'yes' half +the time and 'no' the other, and I find it answers quite well."</p> + +<p>"But how do you know when to say 'yes' and when to say 'no'?" +Billy asked.</p> + +<p>"I don't mind if I do answer wrong part of the time, and if I get +too much off she stops talking altogether and that pleases me +better, so you see it answers very well."</p> + +<p>"But don't you get tired leading such an inactive life?" asked +Billy.</p> + +<p>"I used to," answered the elephant, "when I was younger, and +before my mate died. But since she died and I have rheumatism I +don't seem to care much, for without her there would be nothing +to do if I did run away; beside your climate is so cold, and your +forests so skinny and bare looking there would not be any fun +living in them."</p> + +<p>"Our forests skinny and bare looking, did you say? You don't know +what you are talking about. I guess our forests are as nice as +yours in India, and not half so full of snakes and chattering +monkeys, to say nothing of the nasty crocodiles and hippopotamuses +that you have in your rivers; and vines growing all over the trees +and from one tree to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> another, so thickly you can't walk without +making a path for yourself by breaking them down."</p> + +<p>"Oh, but that is just what I like," said the elephant, "and the +air is so hot and moist you feel fine, while here you are either +all dried up with heat or shivering with cold."</p> + +<p>"Well, every one to his taste, I suppose," and he walked over to +the hyenas' cage to make their acquaintance, out of curiosity, as +he knew little about hyenas.</p> + +<p>"My, aren't they homely, sneaky, shifty-eyed looking things!" +thought Billy. "I would not like to meet one alone after dark, +but still I hear they are cowardly and wait until one is dead +before they try to eat him up. I don't think I will make a long +call, for they grin and laugh too much, and their laughter has no +mirth in it. It is just a loud guffaw." So he only stayed a few +minutes and then went on to a beautiful white llama's cage.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Miss Llama," said Billy very politely, for he +wished to get in the good graces of the beautiful Miss Llama whom +he admired very much for her long, silky, white hair and mild, +brown eyes.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Mr. Whiskers," she replied. "How do you find +yourself after our Saturday night's trip?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Very well," said Billy, "but I am afraid you must have had a bad +shaking up where the bridge was broken, if you had to go down +that steep embankment to cross the creek."</p> + +<p>"You are right; it was steep," said the llama, "and I was nearly +scared to death when I felt the water running into my cage and I +had just given myself up as lost when it commenced to recede, and +I was thrown on my knees by the cage being pulled with a jerk up +the opposite bank. How did you get across?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, easily! I just jumped across from one pier of the bridge to +the other," said Billy. "I met a friend of mine and we went off +and had a fine time. How I wish you could get out of that cage, +so you could go with us sometime!"</p> + +<p>"You don't wish it more than I do, and it always makes me weep, +when we are driven along the sweet smelling roads, to think that +I can't get out and must be shut in here for life."</p> + +<p>"It really is a shame, for you are too pretty to be shut in a +cage. Are you sure you can't break some of those bars some night +and get out?"</p> + +<p>"I am sure," said the llama, "for I have tried time and again."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, Billy Whiskers, you are the 'consarnedest' goat I ever +knew, and how in the 'dickens' you managed to break that chain is +more than I can tell," Billy and Miss Llama heard someone say +behind them and looking round they saw the animal keeper.</p> + +<p>"So, so; you simply pulled up the stake you were tied to when you +found you could not chew your chain in two, did you? Well, come +along with me; you have been idle long enough, and we are going +to teach you some new tricks."</p> + +<p>When Billy heard this his heart sank for he disliked the +ring-master and was afraid they would make him stand on his +hind-legs and walk. Had he only known it, that was the easiest +thing he would have to do. He was led to the performing ring and +there stood the hated ring-master facing a line of animals +standing in a straight line reaching from one side of the ring to +the other. In the middle stood the elephant, with the summer +house, as Billy called it, on his back; next him stood a camel; +next the camel a giraffe; next the giraffe a horse; next the +horse, a zebra, and last a little Shetland pony. On the other +side of the elephant were more animals standing in the same +order.</p> + +<p>"What in the world can they want of me," thought Billy, but he +soon found out for they dressed him up as a clown<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> in a white +suit with red spots on it and tied a mask on his face and a +pointed clown's cap on his head. Then they led him to where the +pony stood and made him walk up a step ladder, onto a little +platform, strapped to the pony's back. From this he was made to +walk up another step onto a similar platform on the zebra's back; +here he was made to stop and make a bow and so on until he had +reached the little summer house on the elephant's back. This he +was made to enter and sit upright on a little seat that was +inside while the elephant started forward and walked out of the +ring carrying Billy with him.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image_132.jpg" width="500" height="431" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>After this he was dressed as a workman, with a pipe in his mouth +and a hod of mortar strapped to his shoulder, and made to walk +part way round the ring on his hind legs. Then he was allowed to +rest and was given a bunch of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> carrots to eat. While he was +eating these Betty was brought in hitched to a little low wheeled +cart. Then a great Dane dog was brought in hitched to a similar +cart. After that a man pulled in another cart like the other two +and hitched Billy to that. The carts were painted red, white, and +blue and trimmed with flags. Soon three little dogs dressed as +ladies were carried in, put into the carts with the reins over +their necks. Then the goat, burro, and dog were put neck to neck, +ready to start on the race that was to begin when the ring-master +cracked his whip.</p> + +<p>At the signal the dog got started ahead, but half way around the +ring Billy passed him; the next time around, the dog was again +ahead, when slow little Betty balked in the middle of the course +and both the goat and dog ran into her upsetting the carts and +spilling out the little lady dog drivers. None of them were hurt +and the little dogs ran around stepping on their silk petticoats +and getting their hats askew, they enjoying the upset by barking +and making all the noise they could.</p> + +<p>"Well, boys, you want to do it better at the regular +performance," said the ring-master, as the animals were led from +the ring.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="What_Billy_Did_on_Wednesday" id="What_Billy_Did_on_Wednesday"></a> +<img src="images/image_134_01.jpg" width="790" height="173" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 105px;"> +<img src="images/image_134_02.jpg" width="105" height="283" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">ednesday,</span> Billy was not tied up and after wandering around the +circus and visiting the different animals and stopping to chat +with Betty, he decided to watch his chance and slip into town.</p> + +<p>This was not hard for him to do and he soon found himself on the +main street. At first he walked quietly along looking into the +windows, but presently he saw before him a well-known figure, +that of the ring-master.</p> + +<p>"Now is my chance," thought Billy, "to get even with him for +giving me all those cuts with his whip. I'll just give him a butt +and land him in the middle of that mud puddle, and I am going to +do it so hard he will hear his spine crack and I guess he won't +hit me with his whip again very soon."</p> + +<p>So Billy started quietly on a run, going on his tiptoes so the +ring-master would not hear him until it was too late to get out +of the way. Just as Billy got to him the man raised his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> arm to +doff his hat to a pretty girl, and the next thing he knew he was +flying through the air with his hat in his hand. Still holding +his arm extended, he landed in the deep puddle of muddy water in +the middle of the street, while the young lady threw up her hands +and fled.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/image_135.jpg" width="400" height="369" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>It is needless to say that Billy immediately disappeared down a +side street. Here he ran into a livery stable where a dog fight +had been going on in the back yard. Two ferocious bull-dogs, had +fought so wickedly that their jaws had had to be pried apart.</p> + +<p>One of the dogs had a chain around its neck and its owner was +going to lead it off when one of the livery men saw Billy and +called out:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Wait a minute Mr. Pride, here's a Billy goat I bet can lick your +dog. Let us turn them loose in the yard and have another fight."</p> + +<p>"Why, man what are you talking about? My dog would make just one +grab at the goat's throat and kill him."</p> + +<p>"I am not so sure of that," replied the man, "but I am mighty +sure he will lick your dog if he is the goat I think he is, for I +believe he is the trained goat from the circus."</p> + +<p>"Let's have a fight," said the other men that were standing +around. "It will be great sport to see the goat lick the dog that +can whip every other dog in town."</p> + +<p>"So you think the goat can lick my dog, do you? I'll bet one or +all of you twenty dollars that he can't."</p> + +<p>"It is a go!" said two or three. Then the man that had proposed +the fight said: "It is all well enough to have a little fight for +fun but I hate to see your dog killed, as he may be."</p> + +<p>"Oh, don't you worry about my dog. Leave all your worrying for +the goat."</p> + +<p>All this time the dog had been pulling at his chain and straining +to get at the goat, while Billy quietly walked around inspecting +things, chewing anything he could find.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Won't I fix that conceited dog!" said Billy to himself. So he +allowed himself to be driven into the back-yard. Here the men +formed a circle with Billy in the center; then the man unfastened +the chain from the dog's neck. With a rush he went for the goat, +who quickly stood on his hind legs, lowered his head and met the +dog's onslaught with his horns, running one of them into his +chest, which sent the blood spitting out. Then the dog tried to +get behind Billy for another charge but Billy wheeled and met him +again as before and no matter which way the dog tried to approach +him, Billy was always head foremost with his long, pointed horns +sticking straight out to meet him.</p> + +<p>The dog was getting more and more furious at each failure and at +last he made a blind plunge at the goat, but, as before, Billy +was too quick for him and this time he sent the dog yelping back +to his master.</p> + +<p>"Here! what do you mean by shutting our goat up?" they heard +someone say and turning around they saw one of the men from the +circus who had been sent out to look for Billy as it was nearly +time for the performance to begin.</p> + +<p>"We did not shut him up. He walked in of his own accord; but you +should have been here a minute sooner and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> you would have seen +the prettiest fight you ever saw in your life, between your goat +and the bulliest bull-dog of the town."</p> + +<p>"I am sorry I did not see it; but perhaps we can have another +sometime."</p> + +<p>"Never!" said the dog's owner very emphatically. "I doubt if he +lives through this."</p> + +<p>"Well, good-bye, boys; come and see Billy Whiskers perform in the +circus this afternoon and you will see as good a performance as +fighting, and I'll give all passes who bet on him this time.</p> + +<p>"Billy, I would not have given much for your skin after the +ring-master got through with you if it had not been for this +fight; but now I think he will forgive you for the butt you gave +him this morning, since you whipped Mr. Pride's dog for he hates +Mr. Pride because he forbade him calling on his daughter."</p> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image_138.jpg" width="600" height="116" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="What_Billy_Did_on_Thursday" id="What_Billy_Did_on_Thursday"></a> +<img src="images/image_139_01.jpg" width="790" height="247" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 110px;"> +<img src="images/image_139_02.jpg" width="110" height="308" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">hursday</span> there was no performance as the circus was to break camp +and move to the next town where they were to take the train for a +large city. Here they would meet the rest of the circus which had +been divided up into small bands and sent into the country, like +the one Billy was now with. When they met in the city, all the +companies joined forces.</p> + +<p>The elephant told Billy to wait and see what elegant performances +they gave when they were all together. "Why!" he said, "we have +three rings with acting going on in each one at the same time, +and all the performers wear their best clothes and try their best +to outshine each other; beside we have three or four times as +many animal side-tents as we do now.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span></p> + +<p>"When we meet I will introduce you to my chum who is the oldest +and largest elephant in the circus business. He is a fine fellow +and tells a good story, and one could listen for hours to him +telling of his adventures and experiences while in the jungle and +traveling in this country. But it nearly makes him weep when he +tells of how he was once the pet elephant of a Prince of India +and how the Prince would never ride any other but himself when +hunting or riding in the royal processions. 'Only think of the +come-down,' he used to add, 'from having a Prince of the royal +blood on your back to a common circus rider in gaudy skirts! Then +my blankets and trappings were of velvet, studded with real +precious stones. Now they are velveteen with glass to imitate the +precious jewels. Oh, dear! Oh, dear! That I should ever live to +see this day.'"</p> + +<p>Here the elephant's conversation was cut short by someone +screaming, "Fire, fire!"</p> + +<p>"Where? where?" called Billy who was all excitement in a minute +and he started to run in the direction he heard the voice come +from, but alas for Billy! He forgot he was tied until he came to +the end of his rope and it gave him a quick jerk which sent him +head over heels, breaking the rope.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Gee whiz! I nearly broke my neck. Blame their old rope!"</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image_141.jpg" width="500" height="389" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Fire, fire, fire!" called the voice again, followed by a laugh +and Billy, looking up, saw a green poll-parrot swinging on a rope +overhead, that commenced to call: "April fool, April fool!" as +loud as she could.</p> + +<p>"How I do hate parrots and monkeys! I dare you to come down here, +you disagreeable, impertinent, pea-green, old maid of a bird!" +bleated Billy.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span></p> + +<p>He had hardly gotten the words out of his mouth when something +struck him on the back and began to pull his hair out by the +roots. It was Miss Polly who had dropped like a torpedo and who +was screeching, pecking and clawing him at a great rate. She was +in a bad humor that day as they had forgotten to feed her her +accustomed crackers and coffee.</p> + +<p>As soon as Billy got over his surprise, which was in a second, he +lay down and rolled. This knocked Polly off but the minute he +stopped she flew onto his back again and pecked him until the +blood ran. The second time she lit on his back he thought of a +way to get even. He saw the elephant's tub of water a little way +before him and with two bounds he was by its side and before Miss +Polly was aware of what was up, she found herself doused in the +tub, and when she came up from under the water there was no goat +in sight.</p> + +<p>As Billy went out of the tent he ran into the animal keeper who +was just coming in.</p> + +<p>"Ho, ho! Master Billy, not so fast. I was coming to look for you, +for we are about to start and you have a way of turning up +missing just when you are most wanted." As he said this he caught +hold of the piece of rope around Billy's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> neck that Billy had +broken when he took his somersault, and said: "Come along with +me. I am going to put you for once where you can't get out, no +matter how hard you bite, chew or kick."</p> + +<p>"I wonder what he is going to do with me," thought Billy.</p> + +<p>But he soon found out, for the man led him to a vacant cage that +a wild cat had died in the day before, and made him walk up an +inclined board into it.</p> + +<p>"Heavens!" thought Billy, "I'll never get out of here unless I +die and am carried out like the wild cat was, and if I don't die +I know I will go crazy, shut up in a little cooped up place like +this, with only room enough to take one step and not enough to +turn around unless you turn yourself in sections."</p> + +<p>"Well, Billy, how do you like being caged?" asked the animal +keeper.</p> + +<p>"Yes, you vicious beast, you, how do you like being shut up where +you can't butt and send people flying into mud-puddles and chew +up their wigs, etc.?" asked the ring-master who had joined the +animal keeper.</p> + +<p>"Oh, it is you, is it? Well, you just wait until I get out of +here and see where I will butt you next time, and the animal<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> +keeper, too," bleated Billy, but neither of them understood what +he said.</p> + +<p>When they left him alone Billy tried every way he could think of +to break out, but he could make no impression on the iron bars, +chew as he would,—in fact, he broke one of his teeth trying. +Then he tried butting out the ends of the cage, but it was of no +use. Next he stood on his hind legs and tried to push the roof +off with his long horns, but to no effect; so he lay down tired +and broken-hearted on the hard bottom of the cage and gave +himself up to the blues.</p> + +<p>He was lying there quietly, apparently asleep, when a man brought +him a bundle of hay to eat, a bucket of water to drink and a +pitch-fork of straw to lie on.</p> + +<p>Billy did not move when they brought the things, pretending to be +asleep, but he was rudely awakened out of his supposed sleep by +the man sticking the prongs of the pitch-fork into him to make +him get up so he could spread the straw on the bottom of the +cage. He felt too disheartened to eat, especially food which he +detested, but thought he would take a drink as he was very +thirsty, but at one smell of the bucket he turned up his +aristocratic nose for he detected the bucket had not been washed +since it had been used by some of the other animals<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> for he could +smell and see their hairs on the rim; so he lay down more +disgusted than ever. Poor Billy's confinement was going to be +hard for him. He had roamed the fields and towns, master of +himself, too long to take to being shut up easily.</p> + +<p>At last Billy fell asleep and only awakened when they hitched the +horses to the wagon-like cage he was in to draw it to the depot. +Just before they started he heard a man say: "Here, you forgot to +put up the sides on that cage with the goat in."</p> + +<p>Then the man brought wooden sides and fastened them onto the cage +over the iron bars. This left Billy only a little iron barred +opening near the top, at one side, to get air through.</p> + +<p>"I shall surely smother," thought Billy. "Oh, this is horrible! I +feel as if I were buried alive."</p> + +<p>At that minute the horses started up and poor Billy went down on +his knees with a sudden jerk.</p> + +<p>"How I wish Nanny was here to comfort me," thought Billy. "She +was always so patient and cheerful." How like a man that was for +Billy to forget all about Nanny while he was free and having a +good time, but the minute he was in trouble to think of her and +be willing to have her shut up if he could only see her.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span></p> + +<p>After several hours of hard traveling they stopped, and Billy +knew they must be at the depot for he heard the engines whistling +and the bells ringing, and he was very glad of it for his knees +were all skinned from slipping on the floor from one end of the +cage to the other when they went up or down hill, for it was +impossible to stand, so he had to lay down and make the best of +it.</p> + +<p>"I never pitied caged animals before," thought Billy, "but I did +not know what they had to endure or I should."</p> + +<p>After a great deal of commotion, swearing and fussing on the part +of the men outside, Billy's cage was at last on board and the +train started.</p> + +<p>"Mercy!" thought Billy, "aren't they going to give me a drink of +water or something fresh and cool to eat? Do they expect me to +eat that dried up, tasteless, weedy hay this hot day; and as for +the water, that got upset the first hill we went up. Oh, dear! +and to add to the rest of my troubles I have got a cinder in my +eye, along with this horrible dust that is blowing in that stuffy +little window and I know I am going to be smothered to death. Oh, +if Nanny were only here, to lick this cinder out of my eye! It +smarts so I wish I had hands instead of feet for once in my life +so I could get it out. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> wonder if people ever think how +inconvenient it is not to have hands sometimes."</p> + +<p>And poor old Billy commenced to cry softly to himself. It was a +good thing he did for he soon cried the cinder out and when his +eye stopped hurting, he got some of his spunk back again and +began to plan some way of getting out of his cage.</p> + +<p>At twelve o'clock at night they reached the city and were driven +through the silent streets to a vacant lot where all the circus +bands were to meet. And here I will leave Billy until next +morning.</p> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> +<img src="images/image_147.jpg" width="300" height="152" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="What_Billy_Did_on_Friday" id="What_Billy_Did_on_Friday"></a> +<img src="images/image_148_01.jpg" width="790" height="191" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 110px;"> +<img src="images/image_148_02.jpg" width="110" height="255" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="smcap">hen</span> Billy's little band of circus people joined the others they +found everything in order as they were the last company of the +six traveling bands to join the main one.</p> + +<p>There was one huge tent with three rings in it where the +performances would be given; opening into this was another large +one where the animals were exhibited and branching out of this +were three others,—one where the horses and ponies were kept; +another used as the dressing room, and still another where the +circus people took their meals, while scattered around were ten +or a dozen side-shows.</p> + +<p>The cage Billy was in had hardly been put in place when the sides +were taken off and he found himself in the large animal tent with +the cages arranged round the edge and his old<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> friend the +elephant tethered just outside with the other elephants from the +different bands, and his elephant friend was talking to his chum, +the elephant he had told Billy about, that told such good +stories. Billy thought he must be telling one now for they were +both laughing, but you might have thought they were trumpeting +had you heard them.</p> + +<p>Billy bleated to the elephant and he raised his head and looked +in all directions to see where Billy was but he could not see +him, until Billy told him where to look.</p> + +<p>"Goodness gracious me! Is that you, Mr. Billy, shut up in that +cage? I never expected to see you in a place like that."</p> + +<p>"Neither did I ever expect to find myself in one like this," +Billy answered, "and what is more, I would rather be dead than +stay here. But I will get out yet, don't you fear."</p> + +<p>"I bet you do, Mr. Whiskers, for you are a good one at getting +out of scrapes as well as getting into them. Let me introduce you +to my friend and chum, Prince Nan-ka-poo, as he is called on the +show bill."</p> + +<p>After the introduction Billy's friend said: "Don't look so down +hearted. I will get the Prince to tell us one of his funny +stories so we can have a good laugh. He has just been telling me +a capital one."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span></p> + +<p>But before he had time to tell it a man came along with a hose +and began to wash out Billy's cage and souse him with water, +squirting it in his eyes just to tease him, which Billy thought +was a little too much as it was like kicking a fellow when he was +down and could not help himself.</p> + +<p>"Just wait, Mr. Man with the hose, until I meet you when I get +out of here, and if I don't make your body ache, then my name is +not Billy Whiskers. I am going to give you a butt and hook that +will send you half way up a telegraph pole!"</p> + +<p>While he was fuming about this, another man came along and gave +him a nice, cool drink, and as he saw he had not eaten any of the +hay he gave him a bunch of carrots and a bundle of nice grass. +This Billy appreciated and said to himself: "That's a nice man. +I'll do him a favor some time if I ever get the chance."</p> + +<p>Billy had not stopped eating when a man came along with a bucket +in his hand with something black in it and a large flat brush. +When he got to Billy's cage he commenced to unlock the door and +to Billy's surprise he climbed in and shut the door after him.</p> + +<p>"Well, I wonder what is up now," thought Billy.</p> + +<p>"I don't want to interrupt your breakfast, Master Billy, but this +job has to be done before the circus begins this morning.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> Just +go on eating while I turn you from an ordinary white goat into a +black one. Hereafter you are to be known as the wild goat with +three horns from Guinea. If you don't believe me, read the +printed sign outside tacked to your cage, but do not be alarmed, +this black stuff is not paint and it will wash off easily, for it +is only charcoal and some other mixture. You see our black goat +died and as we have it advertised, we are going to fix you up to +represent it and the people won't know the difference for the +public are easily fooled. And for your third horn—this came off +of a Mexican steer."</p> + +<p>The man took from his pocket a long horn and glued it onto +Billy's head between his other horns, only with the curved point +forward instead of backward. How Billy wished for a mirror to see +himself when the man had finished!</p> + +<p>"I must look like Satan, Mr. Windlass's goat," thought Billy.</p> + +<p>Billy did not get fixed any too soon for the people now began to +crowd into the circus to see the animals before the performances +commenced and they passed around the ring before the animals' +cages, talking and giving them peanuts, pop-corn and apples. He +heard some one say when in front of his cage:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, my! Look at this queer looking goat with three horns—don't +he look fierce?"</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 427px;"><a name="pic_6" id="pic_6"></a> +<img class="img1" src="images/image_154.jpg" width="427" height="539" alt=""OH, MY! LOOK AT THIS QUEER-LOOKING GOAT WITH THREE HORNS. DON'T HE LOOK FIERCE?" " title=""OH, MY! LOOK AT THIS QUEER-LOOKING GOAT WITH THREE HORNS. DON'T HE LOOK FIERCE?"" /> +<span class="caption">"OH, MY! LOOK AT THIS QUEER-LOOKING GOAT WITH THREE HORNS. DON'T HE LOOK FIERCE?" </span> +</div> + + +<p>"Let's read the card on his cage and see what it says about him. +It says he was caught in the mountains of Guinea and that he is +very ferocious. He looks it, doesn't he? How would you like to +have him hook you?" Billy heard one little boy say to another. +"Isn't this funny, the card says he kills his prey with his two +sharp pointed horns and then hooks the other one into his prey +and carries it off."</p> + +<p>"Is that what the card says? Well, if that isn't the biggest lie +I ever heard!" thought Billy. "I'll bet the ring-master made that +up, like the one about my being an astrologer. Oh, he is a dandy, +he is! But when I come to think of it, I don't mind if they do +fool the people, if they are so easily gulled as that; and I +guess I will help them carry it out by behaving fierce and +kicking around when anyone looks into my cage."</p> + +<p>After the people had all passed into the main tent, the wind +began to blow a perfect hurricane and the rain came down in +sheets while one peal of thunder followed another in such quick +succession that one would hardly have time to die away before +another was upon it; rolling and booming like heavy pieces of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> +artillery. The lightning was so vivid and bright that it made +Billy wink at every flash.</p> + +<p>Presently a fiercer, stronger volume of wind hit the big tent and +it collapsed burying all the people under it, while the same gust +swept on and picked up the tent Billy was sheltered in and +carried it off, upsetting cage after cage of animals as it flew +up and soared over their heads.</p> + +<p>Billy's cage was among those upset, but before it went over the +wind picked it up, carried it a few feet and then dropped it, +smashing in the wooden side and setting Billy free. For once the +old saying came true: "That it is an ill wind that blows nobody +any good." With a swish of his stubby tail Billy was off down a +side street, and as he ran he could hear above the peals of the +thunder and the rushing of the wind, the lions roaring and the +elephants trumpeting for fear amid the confusion and excitement +of the collapsed tents,—the circus that Billy had escaped from +for good.</p> + + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 790px;"><a name="Billy_Finds_Nanny" id="Billy_Finds_Nanny"></a> +<img src="images/image_155_01.jpg" width="790" height="197" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 117px;"> +<img src="images/image_155_02.jpg" width="117" height="280" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p> </p> + +<p><br /> +<span class="smcap"> Billy</span> trotted down the side street, the cyclone still raged +and blew loose boards and papers in every direction, but he kept +on until he found himself out of the town and on the high road.</p> + +<p>"Why, how good it seems to get away from the smelly old circus +and be free again. Who cares for the wind and weather when one is +free? This rain will wash the black stuff off my coat that circus +fellow put on; and now I think of it, I'll just walk up to that +board fence and butt off this old horn that they glued to my +head: that will be the end of the Wild Goat from Guinea."</p> + +<p>Suiting the action to the words, he walked up to the fence and +hooked the curved part of the horn over the rail, pulled back, +and the horn came off easily without pulling out any hair<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> as the +rain had softened the glue. As it fell inside the fence, Billy +kicked up his heels, whisked his stubby tail, and started down +the road at a fast trot. As he ran, he made up his mind he would +find Nanny once more, even if he had to spend the rest of his +life looking for her. You know from past experience that if Billy +made up his mind to do a thing, that he did it; for Billy's +strong points were bravery, perseverance and stick-to-ativeness. +These are good qualities for boys and girls to have as well as +goats.</p> + +<p>It was a good thing that Billy had these qualities, or he never +would have found Nanny again. For one whole month he hunted for +her, going up one road and down another, being stoned by boys and +chased by men as he tried to steal a meal out of their gardens. +Some times he wandered into a yard to get something to eat, and +they set the dogs on him, but this they always wished they had +not done, for he invariably turned and ripped the dogs open with +his long horns.</p> + +<p>In this way he traveled, sleeping by the wayside in all kinds of +weather, until even he was beginning to get discouraged. When one +day he happened on a road that looked familiar to him, and the +further he traveled, the more familiar it became, until he came +to a bridge with a red house beside it. Then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> he knew where he +was for he recognized the house and the scenery around as the +place where the bridge had broken down when the elephant had +attempted to cross it. His joy knew no bounds for now all he had +to do to get to Nanny was to follow this road to the town and +then take another to the other side of town which would lead him +to his little wife Nanny.</p> + +<p>When he thought of dear, patient, little Nanny, a tear rolled +down his cheek; but he shook it off in a hurry for the next +minute the thought came to him, what if Nanny had given him up as +lost and married another? The thought made him mad; and for three +or four miles he ran like a steam-engine, snorting with rage as +he went, and vowing to himself that if it were so, he would split +her new husband open with his long horns, as he had the dogs he +had met by the way.</p> + +<p>In the meantime, while Billy had been away, poor, lonely, little +Nanny had never forgotten her old Billy, though all the young +Billy Goats in the herd tried to make her do so, and each and all +had wanted her to marry them, but she said "no" and remained +faithful to her Billy.</p> + +<p>She had one thing to comfort her however, and that was two +beautiful little Kids that had been born to her some time<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> after +the circus-man had taken Billy away. With these she spent all her +time, and they repaid it by being very fond of her; and it was a +beautiful sight to see the three playing together in the green +meadow down by the stream.</p> + +<p>So Billy thought the next day, when, after traveling all night, +he at last came to the farm and looking through the fence saw +Nanny lying in the grass with the two little kids jumping over +her and kissing her nose.</p> + +<p>"Two very fine looking kids," thought Billy. "I wonder whose they +are."</p> + +<p>Then his old heart stood still for his next thought was: "She has +forgotten me, is married again and these are her children."</p> + +<p>This thought made him feel sick and faint, and his knees shook +under him, so he dropped on the grass with his nose through the +rails of the fence, and there he lay for a long while, but he +never took his eyes off the three in the pasture.</p> + +<p>"I will lie here and see if it is so," thought Billy, "and if it +is, I will go away and never let her know that I came back."</p> + +<p>As he looked, old Satan, the minister that had married them, came +up to speak to Nanny, and Billy felt his blood beginning to boil +for he thought:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span></p> + +<p>"If she is married to that old widower, and I am afraid she is, +for one of those kids is as black as Satan himself, I can't stand +it! I shall stay to make myself known just long enough to kill +him."</p> + +<p>Soon, however, Satan walked off, as it was getting dark, and the +goats began to find cozy places for themselves for the night. But +Billy lay still and watched, though he was very thirsty and +hungry, not having eaten anything all day, as he had been too +anxious to get back to see if Nanny was married again.</p> + +<p>He watched her wash the kids' little faces for the night with her +soft tongue and give them a good-night kiss on their little noses +before they cuddled down to sleep beside her. It made Billy groan +with lonesomeness to see it all, and he lay there broken in +spirit and wished he could die, and closed his eyes to shut out +the sight.</p> + +<p>But he could not keep them closed. He had to open them to look +once more on Nanny's sweet, patient face. As he did so, he +noticed that the moon was just rising; and as it came up, Nanny +rose also and stepping carefully so as not to waken her babies, +she walked toward the fence where Billy was.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p> + +<p>Closer and closer she came with her pretty, sweet face showing +plainly in the moonlight. Billy scarcely breathed, he was so +excited, wondering if she would recognize him, and what she would +say when she saw him.</p> + +<p>She came straight to the fence and stuck her nose through the +rail just above Billy's head before she saw him.</p> + +<p>When she did, her eyes dilated with surprise, and then with a +bleat of joy, she called:</p> + +<p>"Billy! My Billy! Have you come back!" And she commenced to cry +as if her heart would break for joy.</p> + +<p>No words can express Billy's joy when he felt her tears on his +face and her warm nose kissing his cold one, and all Billy could +say was, "My darling, you are not married to Satan after all, are +you?"</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image_161.jpg" width="500" height="502" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>This made Nanny laugh and she called him a silly, old goose.</p> + +<p>But what was the matter with Billy? He felt as strong and young +as Nanny herself, and had forgotten his thirst and weariness of a +few moments ago. Being only a goat, he did not know that +happiness is the greatest elixir of life yet discovered.</p> + +<p>"Wait a second, Nanny. I can't have this old fence between us," +and Billy backed off, gave a spring and was over the fence beside +Nanny in no time.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span></p> + + + +<p>"Oh! Billy, how good it seems to have you back again. Now I have +a great surprise for you. Come and see our two beautiful +children. One is as white as snow and her I call Day. The other +is as black as a coal, and him I call Night. They are twins, and +two smarter, healthier kids you never saw.</p> + +<p>"Night is very mischievous and reminds me of you all the time. +Ever since you have been gone, I have walked to the fence every +night and looked and waited for you to come back and it nearly +broke my heart when night after night went by and you did not +come."</p> + +<p>Billy and Nanny walked over to where their babies were, and Billy +assured her that they were the most beautiful kids his eyes had +ever rested on, and he felt himself swelling with pride as the +father of such handsome kids.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span></p> + +<p>Nanny led Billy to the stream and while he was quenching his +thirst and eating a little of the sweet grass and mint that grew +on its bank, they told each other all that had happened since +they parted.</p> + +<p>I will leave Billy and Nanny here, and my next book will be about +Day and Night, Billy and Nanny's kids.</p> + +<h3>THE END.</h3> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image_162.jpg" width="500" height="185" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Billy Whiskers, by Frances Trego Montgomery + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY WHISKERS *** + +***** This file should be named 19167-h.htm or 19167-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/1/6/19167/ + +Produced by Brian Janes, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Billy Whiskers + The Autobiography of a Goat + +Author: Frances Trego Montgomery + +Illustrator: W. H. Fry + +Release Date: September 3, 2006 [EBook #19167] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY WHISKERS *** + + + + +Produced by Brian Janes, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + [Illustration: "LOOK HERE, THAT IS MY GOAT!"] + + + + + BILLY + WHISKERS + + THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A GOAT + + + + by + + Frances Trego Montgomery + + + Illustrated by W. H. Fry + + + + Saalfield Publishing Company, + + Akron, Ohio, + + 1902. + + + * * * * * + + + + +CONTENTS + + +MR. WAGNER BUYS A GOAT + +BILLY WHISKERS MAKES TROUBLE + +BILLY AT THE SODA FOUNTAIN + +BILLY GIVES THE BOYS A DUCKING IN THE MILL POND + +BILLY'S ADVENTURES IN TOWN + +BILLY HAS A RIDE IN THE POLICE PATROL WAGON + +BILLY JOINS THE FIRE PATROL + +BILLY AND NANNY GET INTO MISCHIEF + +BILLY AND NANNY ARE MARRIED + +BILLY AS A PERFORMER IN THE CIRCUS + +BILLY AND THE SNAKES + +WHAT BILLY DID ON SUNDAY + +WHAT BILLY DID ON MONDAY + +WHAT BILLY DID ON TUESDAY + +WHAT BILLY DID ON WEDNESDAY + +WHAT BILLY DID ON THURSDAY + +WHAT BILLY DID ON FRIDAY + +BILLY FINDS NANNY + + * * * * * + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + +"LOOK HERE, THAT IS MY GOAT!" _Frontispiece_ + +IN TWO MINUTES, HE HAD SENT THE DOG FLYING OVER THE FENCE. + +THE ITALIAN WAS SO HORRIFIED AND DISMAYED TO SEE WHAT HAD +HAPPENED THAT HE FORGOT WHAT LITTLE ENGLISH HE KNEW. + +THIS CALLED FORTH A SHOUT OF GLEE FROM THE POLICEMEN WHO WERE +LOOKING OVER THE FENCE. + +THE FARMER STOPPED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ROW WAS ABOUT. + +"OH, MY! LOOK AT THIS QUEER-LOOKING GOAT WITH THREE HORNS. DON'T +HE LOOK FIERCE?" + + * * * * * + + + + +_Mr. Wagner Buys a Goat_ + + +Mr. Wagner lived about two miles from a small town, and he +thought it would be nice for his boys to have a little goat cart, +so they could drive into town for mail and do errands for the +family. + +Without saying anything to his family, he appeared one evening +leading a nice, docile looking, long-bearded Billy goat, hitched +to a beautiful new red wagon. + +Of course, the boys were wild with delight, and their mother +disgusted, for she predicted that he would be more bother than he +was worth, and would eat up all the things in the garden. They +answered her that they would take good care that he never got +loose, and that no wrong would happen, if she would only let +them keep the goat. So with many misgivings she gave her consent, +and Billy was led to the stable behaving like a lamb. + +The boys christened him Billy Whiskers immediately, on account of +his long white beard. It being a warm night, they tied him near a +shed, so if it rained he could go under it for protection, and +giving him some grass and a bucket of water, they went to bed to +dream of the fun they were going to have the next day with Billy +Whiskers. + +It was five hours later when Billy awakened from his first long +sleep, and feeling refreshed, thought he would take a look +around. It was bright moonlight, and as all the lights were out +in the house, he knew he would not be disturbed, for when he went +to a new place he did not like to be interfered with when he made +his first explorations, and he always preferred making them at +night, and alone. You will no doubt think that he could not +explore much, tied to a short rope, but if you think the rope +made any difference you do not know the ways of an educated goat, +and Billy had no Kindergarten education either, but a regular +High School training in that respect. + +He turned, and taking the rope in his mouth as he had done many +times before, he quietly and peacefully chewed it until it fell +apart, and then with a kick of his heels, and a wink at the +house, he went toward the garden. From this direction the evening +breeze was wafting to his nostrils sweet odors of dew-sprinkled +lettuce and tender beet tops. + +He ate up all the lettuce, or at least all the choice heads, and +what beets he did not eat, he stepped on. Then he walked across +the flower beds, and trampled down all the flowers, in a short +cut to the pump, for he was getting thirsty. + +On his way to the pump he thought he saw a man coming down the +road, so he hurried along and went up on the veranda of the house +to stand in the shadow until the man went by, for he knew that +men often interfere with a goat's pleasure, even if it is only a +moonlight stroll. + +The man having passed, he walked around the veranda trying every +now and then to look in at the window to see what kind of a house +his new master had. At last he came to the front door and he +could not help trying to taste the bell knob, it looked so much +like a knob of salt in the moonlight. To be sure he knew that it +was not salt, but it did look so good to eat, and he had often +eaten things before that were not down on the diet list of a +goat, so he took another chew but, horrors! what was that! There +was a terrible ringing and clanging in the house,--it sounded +like a fire bell; and the next minute Mr. Wagner stuck his head +out of the window and wanted to know who was there. Of course +there was no answer, and Billy stood as still as possible to +listen and see what Mr. Wagner would do next; then he walked to +the edge of the porch, and heard Mr. Wagner say, "Who is there? +Can't you answer, or are you deaf and dumb, or drunk?" + +[Illustration] + +Still no response, and Billy walked back and gave another lick at +the bell, which immediately gave another loud ring. Mr. Wagner +drew his head in, and Billy heard him say, "I'll come down and +break your stupid head for you, wakening people up this time of +the night!" When Billy heard this, he thought that it was time to +go, so he scooted around the house, and went and laid down by his +rope, just as if he were still tied and had not stirred a peg. + +Mr. Wagner opened the door, and finding no one there, walked +around the house holding a candle over his head to see if some +drunken tramp had not rung the bell. He thought that he heard +steps on the veranda as he came to the door, but no one was in +sight only Billy Whiskers, apparently asleep by the shed. + +"Hello! Billy old fellow, how are you getting along? Seen anyone +around here lately?" + +But Billy only blinked and laughed in his skin to see Mr. Wagner +prancing around in his night-shirt, with the tallow from the +candle dropping on his bald head. + +Mr. Wagner went in and was about to get into bed, when he thought +he saw in the moonlight a figure come out of the shed and go +toward the house. The moon went under a cloud just at that minute +and was hid from sight, so he kept still, straining his eyes to +see and his ears to hear. He heard the chain rattle on the bucket +at the well. + +"Oh! ho!" he thought, "the tramp thinks that I have gone to bed, +and that he will get a drink, and then prowl around some more. +Well, we will see. I will just get my shot gun and fire a shot to +scare him, if he does not answer." + +So grabbing his gun, which always stood by the window loaded for +use, he called out again: + +"Who is there? Speak, or I'll shoot!" + +As the words left his mouth, an object started on a run from the +well, and Mr. Wagner fired, not stopping to see what it was, but +supposing it to be a man. Just then the moon sailed from under +the cloud, and there in the moonlight lay poor Billy Whiskers +stunned and nearly frightened to death with a flesh wound in his +side. When Mr. Wagner saw what he had done, and that it was only +the goat, he pulled down the window, and went to bed, too mad to +even go to see if the goat was dead or not. + +The next morning Billy was as lively as ever, only a little faint +from loss of blood and rather subdued. The children bathed his +wound with witch hazel, and after a good breakfast, he was as +well as ever, and ready for play or work. + +Of course Mrs. Wagner said, "I told you so," several times, only +varying it with, "Yes, you just wait and see, that goat will get +into more trouble than he is worth, just see if he won't." + +When she said this, she did not know of the midnight meal off her +nice lettuce he had had in the garden. + +Billy did not get into much mischief during the remainder of the +day, except chewing up the dish-rags which were hung on the lilac +bush to dry, and all the flowers off the oleander. + +The next day was his unlucky day, maybe because it was Friday. It +happened in this way, Mr. Wagner had some extra nice strawberries, +which he had taken special pains to pick and fix up, intending to +send them to a friend in town. He told the boys that they could +take the goat cart and drive into town, with the berries and some +nice lettuce for his friend, and get the mail on the way back. + +The boys were delighted at the prospect of driving Billy in the +new cart. They packed the things in nicely, and hitching Billy +up, drove out of the lane in fine style, on a fast trot. +Everything went well until half-way to town, when Jimmy Brown +sicked his dog on the goat, and then the trouble commenced. + +[Illustration: IN TWO MINUTES, HE HAD SENT THE DOG FLYING OVER +THE FENCE.] + +Billy Whiskers made a plunge for the dog, missed him, but gave +the cart a quick jerk, which spilled the boys and the berries out +in great shape, and then the scrimmage began. The boys went for +Jimmy Brown, and the goat for the dog, dragging the overturned +cart with him, and in two minutes, he had sent the dog flying +over the fence, with his sharp horns. He then proceeded to walk +quietly back to where the strawberries and lettuce were lying in +the road, and commenced eating them, as if nothing had happened +at all. All this time the boys were pulling each other's hair, +and rolling over in the dust, in a regular pitched battle. Billy +having eaten all he cared for, walked off and lay down in the +shade to rest, still dragging the cart after him. He was just +losing himself in sleep, when he was jerked to his feet in a +hurry; the cart was straightened; and before he knew what he was +about, he was being driven toward home as fast as his legs could +go, and from the conversation he learned that they had taken +their departure so hurriedly because they had seen Jimmy's big +brother coming down the road, and they did not care to stop and +fight him too. Arriving at home, with dirty, bloody faces; +clothes torn, and no letter of thanks from the people the berries +had been sent to, the boys were afraid to go in so they decided +that the best plan would be to cry and howl and limp, as if they +were nearly dead, to excite their mother's sympathy; so that she +would be too frightened to scold them. They made the small holes +larger in their clothes, rubbed a little more dirt on their +faces, and squeezed a little more blood out of their scratches; +and screaming at the top of their voices, they drove into the +lane. The ruse was a success, for first came Kate, the cook, to +see what was the matter; then John, the hired man; and last +mother and father, from out of the garden where they had been +examining the damages which Billy had done two nights before. + +All mother said was, "That goat has to be sold, Silas Wagner, I +told you that trouble would come when you brought that long +whiskered animal home." + +And the next day the goat was sold. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy Whiskers Makes Trouble_ + + +The day after Billy Whiskers was sold to the Biggses he was shut +in a small yard to keep him out of mischief. Feeling lonesome, he +thought that he would jump the fence and look around a little. He +was getting cross-eyed looking through the palings of the fence +which were very close together, so suiting the action to the +thought, he vaulted over the fence, landing in a kettle of +scarlet dye, that had been left there to cool. When he got out of +the kettle the fore-part of him was scarlet, and the hind, white, +but he did not mind that, so after shaking the drops from his +eyes and beard, he was as ready to explore as if nothing had +happened. + +[Illustration] + +Seeing the kitchen door open, he went up the steps softly and +looked in. He could see no one in the kitchen, and smelling some +nice sweet-cakes, which had just been taken out of the oven and +placed on the table, he walked cautiously across the floor and +began to eat them. From the floor he could only reach a few, so +he mounted a chair, and from that stepped onto the table. As he +did so, he stepped into a large loaf cake with frosting on it. +While kicking that off, and licking the frosting off his feet, he +caught sight of a nice red apple that one of the children had put +on a small shelf for safe keeping. This he quickly packed away +where moth and rust doth not corrupt. Hearing some noise, he was +about to get off the table, when raising his head, he faced +another goat. But this goat must have come from the infernal +regions for in all his life he had never seen such a villainous +looking fellow. Billy was no coward, so he backed off as far as +the table would allow, and then butted forward as hard as he +could. A crash! a bang! and the other goat was upon him, and they +both rolled off the table. + +Where had the other goat disappeared when he had butted him, and +what was this thing around his neck? A looking-glass frame, with +little pieces of glass sticking in it. Backing out of the frame, +Billy went in pursuit of the other goat; for he did not know that +it was his own image he had butted in the kitchen looking-glass. +Seeing a dark hall-way, he went boldly in, and walked on toward a +light he saw at the other end. Arriving there, he found that the +light came from a window in the parlor. He marched in, still +looking for his rival, but soon forgot him in gazing at the +things in the room, especially a fancy basket of fruit under a +glass cover. Now Billy was very partial to fruit of all kinds, so +he upset the marble-top table the basket was setting on and out +rolled all the luscious looking fruit. He bit into a rosy cheeked +peach, but of all fruit he had ever eaten, this was the most +tasteless and tough. It stuck to his teeth so he could not +separate his upper jaw from his lower. Just then he heard voices, +and some one say: + +"Susie, I heard a terrible crash down stairs. You had better run +down and see what it was. You may have left the kitchen door open +and the cat possibly came in and upset something." + +Then he heard Susie say, "All right, Mum." + +He thought that if anyone was coming down he had better get out +so he started on a run, but the door at the end of the hall had +blown shut, and the only other way of escape was up the front +stairs. As he reached the top, he saw Susie who had been +scrubbing the top of the back stairs, throw down her brush, +preparatory to going to see what the noise was. They both caught +sight of each other at the same moment, and Susie thought the +long, sinister looking, scarlet-bearded face with the horns, that +appeared at the top of the stairs, was the devil; and with a +blood-curdling scream she threw up her hands and rolled to the +foot of the stairs, upsetting the pail of suds that she had +clutched when she felt herself falling. There she lay too +frightened to move, but Billy rushed on trying to find a way out +for he commenced to feel that there would be trouble if he were +found. + +Mrs. Biggs, hearing Susie scream, rushed to the door with her +mouth full of tacks, and a hammer in her hand, just in time to +get butted into by Billy, which laid her flat on her back in less +time than you can wink. As luck would have it, the shock made her +open her mouth and the tacks flew out for if she had swallowed +them she would never have gotten off her back. + +Billy Whiskers gave her one look when he saw what he had done, +and turned and fled back down the stairs, and out the front door +between the legs of Mr. Biggs who was just coming in, and Billy +being a big goat, and Mr. Biggs a short, stout man, there was not +much room to go through, but it was the first daylight Billy had +seen, so he gave Mr. Biggs a boost as he straddled his back, +which helped him to fall off, over the side of the porch where he +landed in a nice soft bed of geraniums. + +As Billy was a knowing goat, he decided that they would not care +for him after what had happened, nor look for him if he +disappeared, so seeing the front gate open, he ran out and +trotted down the road and that was the last that was heard of +him. His surmises were right. The Biggses never even looked for +him. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy at the Soda Fountain_ + + +After Billy Whiskers had left Mr. Biggs, he trotted slowly down +the road wondering where he would get his next meal for he well +knew he would never dare go back to Mr. Biggses after upsetting +him in the geranium bed and causing all the mischief he had there +that day. But being a goat of a cheerful frame of mind and used +to looking out for himself, he did not worry much, and decided he +would enter the first garden he came to, and make a free lunch +off the vegetables, or go into a turnip patch and feast on them +for if there was anything he doted on it was nice, sweet turnips, +fresh from the fields. + +He had gone some distance, and no patch or garden appearing that +was not enclosed by a high, barbed-wire fence, he commenced to +get discouraged. Feeling hungry and thirsty he was about wishing +he had behaved himself at Mr. Biggses so he could go back, when +he came to a turn in the road and there before him stood a frame +building, with the door open and over the door a large picture of +a white Polar bear sitting on a cake of ice, drinking a foaming +glass of soda-water, while in a circle round him sat little +bears, each with a glass of something cool to drink. + +"This is just the place I have been looking for," thought Billy, +"where thirsty animals can get a drink." So in he walked, much to +the fright of a party of picnickers, who were sitting around a +little table drinking soda-water and lemonade, and eating +ice-cream. + +The man at the soda fountain on seeing Billy was so surprised +that he forgot to turn off the fizz he was putting into a glass +of soda he was mixing, and it foamed up and ran up his sleeve and +all over everything. + +This caused the young people to laugh, which made the young man +behind the counter mad. He picked up a bottle of ginger-ale and +pretended to throw it at Billy, but alas for his intentions! He +raised it too high; it hit a large bottle of syrup that stood on +a shelf behind him, breaking both bottles at the same time, and +instead of hurting Billy, he got a sticky bath of syrup and a +shower of ginger in his own eyes. This was adding insult to +injury, he thought, and this last mishap turned the laughter of +the crowd into a scream of merriment which did not lessen his +anger in the least. He grabbed a broom that stood near by and +jumping over the counter went for Billy, who all this time had +been standing still, doing nothing but looking at the man and +waiting for him to give him a drink of some kind. + +[Illustration] + +When Billy saw the man jump over the counter with the broom, he +knew he was after him but at the same time he made up his mind +that he would not leave that store until he had had a drink of +something,--man or no man. + +So when the man made a lunge at him with the broom, Billy made a +quick rush at the man and planted his head in the middle of the +fellow's stomach sending him sprawling on the floor where he +landed in the midst of a shower of tooth-brushes he had upset as +he flew by the show cases. + +This catastrophe frightened the girls and boys who had been +sitting sipping soda and laughing at the man, and there was a mad +scramble to get out but Billy was too quick for them. He wheeled +round and butted the tail end of one fellow's coat so hard that +it sent him flying clear through the open door and out into the +road where he landed in a mud-puddle. + +Then he turned and went for the girls who were all huddled +together against the wall, screaming and crying with fright. He +walked up to them. As they saw him coming, they thought their +time had come and threw up their hands to cover their eyes and +screamed harder than ever. But he only took a bunch of green wax +grapes off the hat of one of the girls and commenced to chew it, +and he would have left them alone but one of the boys who was +with them came to their rescue and tried to drive Billy away by +giving him a hard blow with a chair he had picked up. This +infuriated Billy and he gave the whole bunch of girls a butt and +then turned and went for the boy, who was holding the chair high +over his head ready to strike. Billy stuck his long horns into +the boy's chest and laid him flat on the floor in an instant. +Then he walked up on him and planted his two feet on his breast +while he lowered his head, licking the boy's face all over with +his tongue. This made the boy furious but he could do nothing as +the goat was heavy, and with his weight on his chest he thought +he would smother. + +By that time the soda-fountain man had recovered his breath and +came at Billy again with his broom raised ready to strike. Billy +saw him coming and left the boy he was standing on, and ran +behind one of the tables. Then the chase began; round and round +the tables and chairs went the goat with the man after him, +upsetting everything as they went, until the store looked as if a +cyclone had struck it, with the foaming soda-water and ice-cream +running all over the floor. + +When Billy thought he had tired the soda man out he ran out the +door and sent those that were standing there scattering like a +flock of chickens. All you could see for a while were blue +stockings, black stockings, white petticoats and heels as the +girls ran screaming in all directions. Each girl thought Billy +was behind her, but was too afraid to turn round to look, so kept +running until she had reached a place of safety, either climbing +a fence or getting behind something; and then when she turned to +look there was no Billy Goat in sight, for Mr. Billy had +disappeared in a small grove behind the store. + +After Billy had left them he went on through the woods until he +came to a little shanty with a small clearing behind it, where +cabbages, turnips and such things were planted, and as the gate +was open he walked in and began to help himself for he saw at a +glance that everything was shut up tight and that there was no +one at home. + +After eating all he wanted he walked up to the porch where he saw +a nice pail of water. This he drank in a twinkle and while doing +so thought of that mean soda-water man who would not give him a +drink. + +"But I don't care," thought Billy, "this tastes better, and I got +even with him anyway." + +Billy looked round and saw a straw-stack at the further end of +the yard and a low shed, which backed up to another shed in the +next yard. Billy noticed for the first time that there was +another house and yard adjoining the one where he was and from +there he could hear voices saying, "Good-night." Then all was +still and he walked to the straw-stack and lay down in its +shelter and was soon fast asleep. + +He had no idea how long he had been asleep when he heard a woman +say, in a high-pitched voice: + +"Rooney, I told you, you would leave that gate open once too +many times and some one's cow would get in and eat up all the +cabbages; and now look, some cow or horse has been in here and +eaten and trampled down all of our nice young cabbages and +turnips. I've a mind to shake your head off, so I have!" + +Then the same voice raised itself and called "Tim, Tim, come here +and see what mischief has been done!" + +Billy lay still and looked in the direction from which he heard +the voice sound, and presently he saw a short, fat, red-headed +boy come around the corner of the house. They went to the cabbage +patch and began to replant the cabbages that he had trampled down +and not eaten, when all of a sudden the woman looked in the +direction of the straw-stack and spied Billy. + +"Begorry, Tim, what is that? A big white dog or what, down by the +straw-stack?" asked Mrs. Rooney. + +Tim looked and said: "No, mother, it is a goat. Let's drive him +out; he is the one that has done all the mischief," and as he +spoke he picked up a stone to throw at Billy. + +"Put down that stone and what are ye about, Tim Rooney? Don't ye +know a fine Billy goat is a nice thing to have in the family? And +it is luck he will bring us by coming to us himself. Put him in +the shed, and to-morrow you can hitch him to your cart and make +him haul the cabbages to market." + +Tim pulled up a bunch of nice, fresh carrots and approached +Billy. With these he induced Billy to follow him to the shed +where he locked him in for the night. + +After fastening Billy in, Tim went off and left Billy to take +care of himself the best he could, and he soon found a heap of +straw which he curled himself upon and was in dreamland in no +time. + +He had been asleep for several hours when he was awakened by a +dog barking at the moon, and he was about going off in another +nap when he thought he heard the bleating of a goat in the shed +adjoining his. + +He pricked up his ears to listen and sure enough he heard it +again very distinctly, and at the same time he saw a large knot +hole in the board partition that divided his shed from the +adjoining one, so he got up and went to look through it to see if +he could not see the goat he heard bleating. + +Into the next shed the moonlight was streaming, and lying on a +pile of straw in the light he saw a beautiful white Nanny goat, +that made his old heart palpitate with delight, he was so glad to +see one of his own tribe again. + +Nanny lay there unconscious of his presence; apparently bleating +in her sleep, she lay so still. As she did not move Billy +concluded to awaken her so he bleated "Good evening" to her. He +had only gotten half through his salutation when she jumped up +quickly as if she had been touched with an electric wire, and +looking around with a frightened stare, said: + +"Good gracious, how you frightened me! Who are you, and where are +you, for I see no one?" + +"You can't see me, but I am here all the same, at the other side +of the shed, looking at you through the knot hole. My name is +Billy Whiskers and I come from nowhere in particular and I am +bound for the same place. Now, tell me your name and the name of +the people you are living with." + +"My name is Nanny O'Hara and I live with a family of the same +name but I belong to their eldest son, Mike." + +"And does he treat you good, my fair friend?" asked Billy. + +"Oh, yes," answered Nanny, "as well as boys generally do, but he +often makes me pull heavy loads and forgets to feed and water me +sometimes." + +"Oh, the brute," said Billy, "to make anyone as handsome as you +pull heavy loads. How I wish I could help you, for I am strong +and used to pulling large loads. The next time he makes you do it +just run into a tree and upset his cart, or better still, run +away altogether and find someone else to live with." + +"Oh, Mr. Billy, I would not dare do either, I am so timid." + +"Hark, here comes some one and we must not let them hear us +talking," said Billy, "So ta-ta, I'll see you to-morrow." + +Sure enough they had heard some one talking. It was Tim Rooney +and his chum, Mike O'Hara, whom he was bringing to show his goat. +As they unfastened the door, Billy heard Mike say: + +"I tell you, Tim, what I will do if he turns out as fine a goat +as you say he is. I'll give you a dollar and a half for him." + +"So ye'll give me a dollar and a half, will ye? Well I like +that--a dollar and a half for the finest goat ye ever laid your +two eyes on! Not much--what do ye take me for, an idjet? I don't +want er sell but if ye'll offer injucements enough I may think +about it, for we have no cart or harness fine enough for so +handsome a goat as this one." + +"Well, open the door and let's see him," said Mike. + +Tim opened the door and there stood Billy Whiskers in all his +glory with his most dignified expression mixed with a little +disgust, for had he not heard himself valued at _a dollar and a +half_,--he that had brought _twenty dollars_ in his day! + +Tim tied a rope around Billy's neck and led him out of the shed +and then the bargaining began again. + +"Well, since I have seen him," says Mike, "and find he is pretty +large, I'll raise my bid to two dollars cash." + +"Not on your life will I sell him for _that_," said Tim. + +"Then how does _three_ strike you, or you keep your goat for I +won't pay another cent. It costs too much to keep a big goat like +that; they eat up everything on the place." + +This Tim well knew and as he was short of money and a circus was +coming to town the next week, he decided to let him go. But not +without one last effort to get a little more out of Mike. Now +Mike had a hunting knife Tim had long coveted, though it had a +rusty blade and a wobbly handle, so he said: + +"I'll tell you what I'll do, Mike. I'll let you have him for +three dollars cash and your hunting knife with a package of +cigarettes thrown in." + +"All right, it's a go!" said Mike. So Mike took hold of Billy's +rope and led him into his yard and thus Billy changed hands once +more and became the property of Mike O'Hara. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy Gives the Boys a Ducking in the Mill Pond_ + + +When Mike O'Hara became the possessor of Billy Whiskers he felt +as proud as a peacock, for he knew he had made a good bargain and +got the best of Tim Rooney for once in his life, and this pleased +him mightily as Tim generally got the best of him in a trade. + +When he reached his own yard, he called over the fence for Tim to +come and see what Billy and Nanny would do when they first saw +each other. Tim accepted the invitation with alacrity and jumped +over the fence just in time to see Nanny walk out of the shed, as +they thought to make the acquaintance of Billy for the first +time. + +"Now is my chance," thought Billy, "to kiss her, and she can't +make a fuss before the boys." So up he walked and kissed her +straight on the mouth. Nanny was so surprised that she gave him a +startled look, turned her back and walked into the shed again. + +"How is that for a cold snub!" said Tim. "Let us harness them +together and see what they will do." + +"All right," said Mike, "if you will help me make a harness for +Billy. I have one for Nanny already." + +The two set to work and in an hour had made a harness for Billy +out of old leather straps and strings, and then they commenced to +harness them to the little cart made out of a packing box set on +wheels. + +The goats bleated and squirmed, wiggled and bucked, but nothing +dismayed the boys and they kept on until the two goats were +harnessed up tight and strong to the cart, and then the fun +began. + +Mike jumped in and took up the reins and Tim followed after, and +out of the yard and down the road they went, sending a cloud of +dust after them. + +From all sides went up the cry: "Look at Mike O'Hara, he has got +a new goat!" And from front-yard, back-yard and sand-pile flocked +the children to see the fun. + +All went well for a quarter of a mile, when Tim, tired of running +on behind, jumped in with Mike. Billy felt the additional weight +in a minute and he bleated to Nanny that he would be switched if +he would pull Tim Rooney, the boy who sold him so cheaply. + +"You will have to," said Nanny. + +"No, I won't," said Billy. "You just watch and see what I will +do! But you must promise to do quickly what I tell you to, or I +can't do it, because I am hitched up with you; so, Nanny, you +will have to follow me and not pull back." + +"All right," said Nanny, "I will do whatever you tell me to." + +"Very well. Do you see that pond ahead?" + +"Yes," answered Nanny. + +"Now go slowly until we get within ten feet of it; then take a +long breath and run straight into the water as far as you can go. +Don't stop or turn to right or left no matter how hard they pull +or scream. Keep right on and we will give Mr. Tim a ducking he +won't forget. I'll teach him to stay out of any cart I am +pulling!" + +They were now ten feet from the pond and Billy gave Nanny the +signal call, and with one accord both goats put down their heads +and commenced to pull and run for dear life. At first the boys +thought it great fun going so fast and neither suspected what +the goats were up to, until Billy gave a quick turn and into the +water they went before either boy could jump out. + +The water was cold and deep and both boys took hold of the reins +to try to stop the goats or make them turn round but to no use; +on they went until only the heads of the boys were seen sticking +out of the water and both goats were swimming. When they got in +Billy enjoyed the wetting he was giving the boys so much, that he +did not stop when he had wet their feet, but told Nanny to keep +on until they were drenched to the skin. + +While they were swimming, Billy said to Nan: + +"I am tired of this, beside when we get to shore the boys will +pound us for ducking them in the pond, so as soon as we get to +shore I am going to run them into a big tree and upset them. This +harness is so rotten that it will break at the least strain that +is put on it, and when the cart goes over we will both give a big +pull which will break it loose from the cart, and then we must +run and hide in those thick bushes I see ahead, where the boys +can't find us." + +"Oh, Billy, I am afraid," said Nanny. "They will surely find us +and whip us and shut us up without any supper." + +"You're a coward, Nanny. Do what I tell you and I'll take care of +you. The boys will never find us if we once get loose and I'll +show you where there is the best supper you ever tasted." + +And once again Nanny fell in with his plans and both goats began +to swim for shore pulling the cart with the two boys still in it, +scolding like magpies. + +Once on shore, Billy turned to the left, instead of the right +which was the way home, and made for a tree that was just the +right size to catch the hub of the wheel and overturn the cart in +great shape. + +[Illustration] + +The boy commenced to switch the goats for the ducking they had +given them, and of course, thought the whipping the cause of +their rapid progress; but could they have read Billy's mind they +would have seen their mistake, for Billy knew the harder and +faster he hit the tree the more sure he was of smashing things +and getting free. + +Smash, bang, roll and tumble! the cart has hit the tree and two +boys are rolling over each other in the dust, while two goats go +scampering off into the thick bushes that line the road. + +Mike recovered himself first and started in hot pursuit of the +runaways while Tim sat still on a stone and rubbed his head and +nose which was bleeding profusely. + +"Hurry, Nanny, hurry," Billy called as he disappeared from sight +down a deep ravine. Poor Nanny was so frightened at what she had +done, she could not hurry or begin to keep up with Billy, who made +great leaps from rock to rock; so she ran under a thorn-apple tree +and trusted to its low drooping branches to hide her. + +But Mike was too close on her heels. He saw the moving of the +branches and knew one of the goats was hiding there. She made a +futile attempt to escape but the thorns ran into her so that she +gave up and meekly let herself be led back to the cart. + +"I have one of them," Mike called out as soon as he came in sight +of Tim. + +"Which one?" said Tim. + +"Nanny," said Mike. + +"I'll bet ye it wasn't that old one; he's a foxy old customer, he +is, and I'll bet me red shirt ye'll never set your eyes on him +again. Devil take me if I care if ye don't after the wetting and +bloody nose he's given me," said Tim. + +"You hold Nanny, while I go look for Billy, Tim." + +"All right and joy and good luck go with ye, but mark me words ye +never will find him when you're looking for him. Better come home +with me, and if he ever comes back he'll come back to-night to +see Nanny of his own accord," said Tim. "I know the ways of goats +better than ye do." + +But Mike did not take Tim's advice. He went to look for Billy but +in about an hour and a half he wished he hadn't, for he saw no +signs of the runaway, and came back tired and foot-sore just in +time to see Tim and Nanny disappearing over the hill on the way +home. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy's Adventures in Town_ + + +Billy hid behind some rocks in the bottom of a ravine until he +thought the boys had given up looking for him. Then he came out +of his hiding-place, and snipped off the fresh young leaves from +the bushes as he walked along making up his mind what he would do +next. + +"It is too bad," he thought, "that Nanny is such a scare-cat and +slow runner for if she had only kept up with me she would be free +now and we could have a good time here. There are lots of young +shoots and juicy leaves for us to eat and plenty of water in the +creek to drink. + +"Now I must go back and see what has become of her. I expect I +will be caught and pounded by the boys, but I told her I would +take care of her and as I never break my word, I must go and see +what I can do." + +He climbed a high hill where he could get a good view of the road +and there he saw Tim leading Nanny into Mike's yard, and a mile +behind he saw Mike walking slowly along. + +"Ho, ho!" said Billy, "they have caught Nan, so there is no use +in my trying to get her away now. I will just wait until dark and +then go back and butt the shed down and get her out and then we +can run away together before they can catch us." + +Turning and looking in the opposite direction he saw lying in the +valley beneath him a city, and he immediately made up his mind to +visit it for it had been a long while since he had been in a +large town. + +Down the hill he started on a run, loosening stones and pebbles +as he went, which rolled after him sending up a cloud of dust. + +At the bottom he struck the main road that led to the town, and +keeping up his fast gait he was soon within its suburbs. + +The first thing he came to was a flower and fruit stand, the +owner of which, a greasy, black-looking Italian, was talking to a +fat blue-coated policeman. Both stood with their backs turned to +the fruit stand. + +[Illustration: THE ITALIAN WAS SO HORRIFIED AND DISMAYED TO SEE +WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT HE FORGOT WHAT LITTLE ENGLISH HE KNEW.] + +Now was Billy's chance. Luscious pears, peaches and grapes lay +before him ready to be eaten, and without a moment's hesitation +he began to sample each, while now and then he would eat a rose +or two between, thus making his own salad. And he found he liked +his fruit salad served on rose leaves just as well as on lettuce. + +In reaching for an extra delicious-looking pear he had to stand +on his hind legs with his fore feet on the lower shelf. But alas, +for his greed! His weight on the board that formed the shelf was +too much, and it flew up in the air sending the fruit in all +directions and making such a racket that the fruit dealer heard +it and turned around just in time to see the wreck of his stand. + +The Italian was so horrified and dismayed to see what had +happened that he forgot what little English he knew and chattered +and swore in Italian until you would have thought a dozen parrots +had been suddenly let loose. + +The policeman tried to stop and catch Billy by spreading out his +legs and waving his arms, but Billy only lowered his head and ran +between the policeman's legs, upsetting him as he went through +for Billy was fat and the policeman short-legged and there was +not room to slide through without upsetting the man. + +The policeman picked himself up and started in hot pursuit, +swearing under his breath that if he ever caught that goat he +would club its brains out. + +[Illustration] + +Of course the policeman could not catch up to the fleet-footed +Billy, so he called out--"Catch him!" But no one cared to attempt +it, especially when Billy lowered his head with the long horns on +it and ran at him. + +But at last, after dodging in and out of the people on the +sidewalk and the carts and wagons in the street, one man was +brave enough to try to catch him. He was a big German butcher and +he stood plum in Billy's way, and when Billy lowered his head at +him, as he had at the others, the butcher caught hold of his +horns and gave his neck a quick twist. This made Billy furious +and he reared on his hind legs and struck at the butcher with his +fore ones, and then the fight began; first one was on top, then +the other, and they rolled over and over into the mud of the +street, while a big crowd gathered, which cheered and called out: + +"I bet on the goat!" + +"Give it to him, Dutchie!" and all such expressions, until at +last Billy got on his feet again, and with a parting hook he slit +the butcher's coat up the back and left him lying in the mud, +while he ran off as fast as his legs would carry him. And it is +needless to say that none of that crowd tried to stop him. + +He had gone through many streets and turned many corners, when he +found himself opposite a beautiful, green, cool-looking park. + +"This is the place for me," thought Billy, "it looks nice and +quiet and as I am tired I will go in and lie down under one of +the trees and eat a little grass." + +After taking a nice rest and nap under the trees, he awoke, and +feeling thirsty thought he would go and quench his thirst at a +sparkling fountain he saw before him. He was quietly drinking and +every once in a while swallowing a goldfish that swam too near +his mouth, when someone from behind gave him a hard hit with a +rake. + +"It is a pity a goat can't take a drink without being pounded," +thought Billy. "But as I have had enough I guess I will move on +for I don't like the looks of this man's face, and I know he will +give me no peace." + +So he walked away slowly, just as if he were going away of his +own accord, when the man gave him another hit with the rake. This +was too much for Billy's pie-crust temper; he turned on the man, +who was gardener of the park, and sent him sprawling over a +hay-cock before he knew what had struck him. + +As Billy walked toward the high iron fence that encircled the +park he saw a policeman coming in at the gate. Now if there was +one thing Billy detested, it was a policeman, and he made for him +running at full speed with head down, and before the policeman +had even seen the goat he found himself hanging by the seat of +his trousers to the sharp iron pickets of the fence. Billy left +him there struggling, kicking, swearing and calling for help +while he made off as fast as his legs would carry him. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy Has a Ride in the Police Patrol Wagon_ + + +After Billy left the policeman hanging on the fence, he walked +through street after street trying to find his way out of the +town, so he could go back to Nanny, but the more he looked for +the scattered houses of the suburbs, the more closely they seemed +to be built, and he found himself on a street where there were +nothing but stores and flats. It was beginning to get dark and he +was getting hungry and tired. + +"I'll turn down the next alley I come to and see if I can't find +someone's back gate open where I can go in and rest," thought +Billy. He soon found the back yard to a flat and as he stood in +the open gate looking up, he could see by the gas light in the +different apartments, the cooks getting supper, and could smell +the sweet odor, to him, of boiled cabbage. + +"Now is my chance," he thought, "to get supper and then come back +and sleep in this coal shed I see in the corner." + +As there were long flights of stairs that connected one flat with +the other, he thought he would commence at the bottom flight and +go to the top, stopping at each flat as he went and picking up +anything he saw fit to eat. At the first landing, the cook had +just been out to the ice-chest to get something for supper and +had neglected to shut the door tightly, consequently it was an +easy matter for Billy to push it open with his nose, and then +help himself to the nice, crisp, fresh lettuce and radishes he +saw lying on the shelf. These he ate in a twinkling; next he +found a basket of eggs, these he did not care for, but he did +want the bunch of large carrots back of the basket, so he stuck +his head farther into the chest to reach the carrots and in doing +so, his horns ran through the handle of the basket and when he +brought his head out of the chest, the basket of eggs came too. + +It slipped down until it hit his forehead and then it turned +over, spilling the eggs on the floor and making a terrible mess. +As the eggs broke, each one made a noise like a small paper +torpedo, and Billy knew the noise would bring the cook, so he +scooted up the stairs to the next landing, where he kept very +still in order to hear what the cook would say when she saw the +broken eggs for he heard her coming out. + +"Goodness, gracious, me! The grocery boy has dropped a package of +eggs on his way up stairs. No he hasn't either, for my ice-box +door is open and someone has been stealing my things!" he heard +her say, and she hurried down stairs to look for the janitor to +tell him that sneak thieves had been at her ice chest. + +When Billy heard her go down the stairs for the janitor, he went +to the upper flat, for fear the janitor would find him if he +stayed where he was. Arriving at the upper flat, he saw a line of +nicely-starched, fine linen things,--a baby's cap, two or three +handkerchiefs and a lace tidy. These he chewed up and swallowed +for he liked the taste of starch and they felt quite like chewing +gum in his mouth as he ate them. Then he saw a pan of apples +setting outside the door and he ate some of those. While eating +he heard the electric bell in the kitchen ring, which scared the +life out of him at first, but when he looked in the window and +found out what it was, he got over his fright. When the girl left +the kitchen to answer the bell, Billy thought he would go in and +take a drink from a pan of milk he saw setting on the table. He +had nearly finished the milk and his whiskers were all wet from +being in the pan, when he heard a scream and, looking up, he saw +the girl standing in the doorway, screaming: "Fire! police! +murder!" + +"What a goose that girl is," thought Billy, "to make such a +racket, she will have the patrol here and four or five policemen +if she don't shut up. Guess I will run into her and butt her +through the hall and down the front stairs." + +Suiting the action to the thought, he started for her but she +fled down the hall and ran into a room closing the door after +her. As she closed that door, the janitor opened the front door +which was directly opposite and Billy getting there just at that +time gave the janitor the butt instead of the girl and sent him +sprawling on the hall floor. + +Before he could get up, Billy ran back through the hall to escape +down the back stairs and as he ran he could hear the girl +calling: "Fire! police! murder!" out of the window at the top of +her voice. + +Billy hurried down the outside stairs as fast as he could, but +there were so many turns they made him dizzy and as he reached +the last flight, he heard the janitor above him call to someone +in the yard not to let that confounded goat escape through the +back gate. + +[Illustration] + +Billy laughed to himself, "I would like to see anyone stop me," +when all unexpectedly, someone hit him on the head with a club as +he made the last turn in the stairs and there before him were +three policemen in a line stopping his way out. He butted and +kicked and balked, but to no use; they clubbed him until he was +almost senseless and then slipped a rope around his neck and +dragged him to the patrol wagon that was waiting outside the +gate, and with many boosts and pushes they at last succeeded in +getting him into the wagon. + +As they drove down the street at break-neck speed, Billy vowed to +himself that if he ever got away from the police, that he would +go back and butt that girl into the middle of next week for +screaming, "Fire! police! murder!" until she had brought the +patrol wagon. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy Joins the Fire Patrol_ + + +When they arrived at the police station Billy was made to jump +out and was led through the station into the back yard, and here +he was turned loose. He had been there about half an hour, when +he heard a terrible stamping of horses' feet and many bells +ringing in the building on the other side of the fence. + +Wondering what the racket could be about, he climbed on top of a +pile of boxes that were next to the fence and looked into the +yard beyond. He found that the building was used as a fire-engine +station, and that the racket he had heard was caused by the +horses taking their places at the engine ready to start to a +fire. + +Through two large doors that opened into the yard Billy could see +what was going on inside. And when he saw the men jump to their +places on the engine and the driver whip up his horses, he became +so excited he could stand it no longer and he determined to go +with them to the fire. With a spring he was over the fence and +following after the engine at a stiff run. + +It was a good thing Billy had a strong pair of lungs or he would +never have been able to keep up with the fast speed of the +fire-engine horses, but he did and arrived at the fire in good +shape. + +The fire was found to be in a three-story frame house, and when +they got there the flames were already coming out of the upper +windows; but the strangest thing about the fire was that the +inhabitants of the house, if there were any, seemed to be in +utter oblivion that their house was on fire for not a person was +in sight about the place and all the doors and windows were +securely locked. + +Two men ran up the steps with axes, while two followed dragging +the hose after them. The men with the axes had given one knock to +the door when Billy saw what they were up to, and as he had often +used his head as a battering-ram, he ran up the steps, and before +the men knew he was there, he gave the door a mighty butt with +his head which made it crash in and the men and goat fell through +the opening. + +This tickled the crowd who had gathered to see the fire, and they +called out: "Bravo for the goat!" + +Billy followed the firemen upstairs but when he got there the +smoke was so thick he could see nothing, and it made his eyes +smart beside choking him dreadfully, so he decided to go out +again. He turned to find the head of the stairs he had come up, +but instead of discovering them he ran into the wall and the more +he tried to find his way out, the more confused he became. He +fell over something and when he regained his feet, after having +nearly gone head over heels into a box, as he thought, but which +was a baby's cradle, he felt something heavy hanging to his +horns. At the same time he heard a baby cry. + +"Poor little thing," thought Billy, "everyone has gone out of the +house and left the baby asleep and now it is going to be burned +to death. Wish I knew where it was; it sounds near but I can't +see for this smoke." Just then a little bare foot slipped down +over Billy's eyes and then he knew the heavy thing hanging to his +horns was the baby. + +As soon as he found this out, he tried harder than ever to find +the stairs and presently he found them, and with the baby's +clothes still twisted around his horns he ran down and out into +the street, just in time to meet the baby's nurse coming from the +drugstore around the corner. She was wild with joy when she saw +the baby and rushed up to Billy to unfasten the baby's clothes +from his horns. The child was unhurt, and a crowd soon gathered +around Billy to pet and praise him for saving the baby's life. + +[Illustration] + +Billy stayed there until the fire was put out and watched the +hose being rolled up, while the firemen that were doing it talked +to him all the time. + +When the hose was all on the cart and the firemen stepped up on +the little step that is at the back to ride home, Billy walked +over and stepped up also but he had to stand on his hind legs +with his fore feet on the coil of hose in front of him. + +One fireman thought this a very clever thing for a goat to do, so +he put his arm around his neck and said, "All right, old fellow, +you shall ride home with me, but take care for we are going to +start and the road is rough and you may fall off." And in this +way Billy rode back to the fire station, causing many smiles from +the people they passed. + +As they drove into the station one of the policemen who was +standing outside their station called out, "Where did you get +that goat?" Billy's friend called back: "I don't know where he +came from; all I know is that he followed us to the fire, where +he made himself useful by saving a life." + +"Well, we have his brother in our back yard. If not his brother, +then one that looks precisely like him." + +"Oh, I guess not," answered Billy's friend, "for there are not +two such fine looking goats in town." + +"Well, I'll show you, come over and see for yourself." + +So the two men went into the police station yard with Billy +lagging at their heels, laughing to himself to think how fooled +the policeman was going to be at not finding any goat there. + +When they got to the yard the policeman looked everywhere, but +could find no sign of a goat, so went into the station to ask the +other policemen where the goat had gone, but none had seen him +and all thought he was still in the yard. + +"Well that must be my goat, then," said the policeman. + +"Not much!" answered the fireman. "You will have to bring better +proof than that before I give him up." + +"Well, I don't want him anyway," said the policeman, "and you +will be glad to get rid of him yourself in a day or two for he is +the most troublesome goat you ever heard of. You should hear of +the mischief he got into at the flat we took him from." + +"Very well," said the fireman, "I'll stand all the trouble he +will cause." + +And with that he led Billy out of the yard into their back yard +and gave him a nice place to sleep, a big dinner and a bucket of +water, all of which Billy was thankful for as he was both hungry +and thirsty after his trip to the fire. + +After his first ride on the hose-cart, Billy liked it so much +that every time the cart went out Billy went too and rode, as he +had before, with his hind legs on the step and his fore feet on +the coil of hose in front of him and the fireman always steadied +him with his arm. And soon this fire company was known as the +White Goat Company, with Billy as its mascot. + +Billy had been with the firemen about a month, when one day he +heard them talking about a procession they were going to be in, +that all the fire-engines, hose-carts and hook-and-ladder +companies were to be in the parade and that the horses were to +have their hoofs gilded and wear collars of roses, and that he, +Billy, was to have his horns and hoofs gilded also, and wear a +rose collar and be led by a chain made of roses, by one of the +firemen who was to wear a red shirt, black trousers and high +patent leather boots and his fireman's hat with a visor. + +When Billy heard this he said, "I won't march in their old +procession, and make a circus of myself. I'll run away first." +But he did not get a chance. + +When the morning of the day of the procession came, Billy watched +the firemen polish the brass of the engine and trim it with +garlands of flowers tied with bright colored ribbons; but when +they commenced to gild the horses' hoofs one of them said to him: + +"It will be your turn next Billy; we are going to give you a +scrubbing in the tub until your hair is as soft and shiny as +silk, and then we are going to gild your long horns and tie blue +ribbons on them, and put the handsomest wreath of pink roses we +can find round your neck. My! but you will look fine, Billy. And +we expect you to behave and walk in a dignified manner, for the +Fire Marshal is going to give you a gold medal to wear round your +neck for saving the baby's life." + +"It is very nice of them to give me a medal," thought Billy, "and +they have been good to me; but I don't like being scrubbed and +dressed up like a clown, beside I am getting tired of town life +and I long for the country and Nanny. I might as well run away +one time as another, so I will watch my chance, and when they are +all busy and not looking, I will walk out of the station quietly, +as if I were only going for my usual walk up the street, and when +I get to the corner, I will turn it and once out of sight I will +run until I get so far away they can't find me." + +But for once Master Billy's plans were foiled for just as he was +walking out of the station one of the firemen saw him and said: + +"Here, here, Billy, not so fast! We are ready for you now and if +you go for a walk there is no knowing when you will come back." + +And he took Billy by the horns and led him into the back yard +where another fireman had a big tub of soapy water ready to put +him in. + +Billy stood in the tub and submitted to the scrubbing until the +soapy water ran into his eyes and then he got mad and butted the +fireman, who was holding his horns, clear over, and kicked the +other man, who was scrubbing him, in the stomach; and then around +and around the yard he ran bleating and shaking his head, wild +with the smart of the soap that was in his eyes. + +"Here, Jack, this will never do," said one fireman to the other, +"he is not half clean. Let us get the hose and turn it on him +while he is running around." + +"All right," said the other, "that will be great sport." + +And they got the hose and soon they were squirting it over Billy +as he ran, first on one side and then on the other, and no matter +where he went the stream of water followed him and played all +over him, and if he stopped running and hugged the fence it was +worse than ever for then the water flowed in a perfect stream +and doused him from head to foot, sending a spray over the fence. + +[Illustration: THIS CALLED FORTH A SHOUT OF GLEE FROM THE +POLICEMEN WHO WERE LOOKING OVER THE FENCE.] + +All the firemen had come out to see the fun and when the +policemen in the next yard heard a great deal of laughing and +racket in the fireman's back yard, they too hurried to the fence +and watched the fun. + +Of course, this only added to Billy's rage, to see his hated +enemies, the policemen, laughing at him, and he vowed he would +get even with them some day, and with the firemen right away, for +he knew his strength. With a bound and a quick run he made for +the group of firemen that were tormenting him and butted and +hooked them in all directions, and sent the fireman who was +playing the hose on him sprawling into the tub of soapy water +that but a few minutes before he had Billy in. + +This called forth a shout of glee from the policemen who were +looking over the fence, and with another angry bound Billy went +for them and butted the fence down that they were leaning +against, and they made their escape into the police station just +in time, for Billy came through the fence and after them, right +up to the door they had run through. + +He gave it one butt and then turned and walked back into his own +yard where he lay down on a pile of straw to cool off after his +exertion. He had been there about half an hour when his pet +fireman came out with a large plate in his hand heaped full of +good things to eat and as he walked toward Billy, the goat could +smell the cabbage, turnips, apples and carrots. He bleated a +friendly greeting to let the fireman know that he would not hook +him if he came nearer and the man came up and set the plate down +under Billy's nose and Billy gave him a goat smile showing that +all was forgiven and began to eat. + +While he was eating this same fireman went in and brought out a +kettle with a brush in it and began to gild Billy's horns and +hoofs. Then he tied a wreath of roses round his neck and went to +get the rope wound with roses to lead him by. But while he was +gone Billy ate up the front of the wreath and as much more of it +as he could reach. + +When the fireman came back dressed for the parade with the rose +chain in his hand that he was to lead Billy with, he spied the +eaten wreath, and said: + +"Why, Billy, you beat any bad boy I ever heard of for mischief! +Now you will have to come into the station and have another +wreath tied round your neck, and I bet you won't chew this one +for I will tie it so close to your neck you can't reach it with +your mouth." + +As they went in the station Billy heard a band playing and the +rat-ta-tah-tah of the drums, and when they heard the music the +engine horses, all decked in rose collars and bridles, with +plumes on their heads, started to prance and pull the beautifully +draped and polished engine out of the station to join the +procession. + +And before Billy knew what was up, he was led out and made to +march in the procession between the engine and hose-cart. After +they had started he rather enjoyed it for from all sides he heard +the people say: + +"There, look! There goes the goat that saved the baby's life." + +"Isn't he a beauty?" + +"See what nice, white, silky hair he has!" + +"Yes," Billy thought, "if they could have seen the firemen +scrubbing me, I expect they would have laughed like the policemen +did." But it all tickled his vanity for Billy was as conceited a +goat as you could well find. + +They had been marching for some time and Billy was getting tired +of the slow gait and being made to stay between the engine and +hose-cart instead of riding on the hose-cart as he had been in +the habit of doing, when he heard the plaintive bleat of a goat +and the sound of a whip. + +"My!" thought Billy, "how that voice reminds me of Nanny." + +Just then a little cart, with a can of milk in it, drawn by a +goat came in sight around the corner, and who should be pulling +it but Nanny, with the big, clumsy Mike Rooney cracking the whip +at her and every once in a while giving her a stinging cut which +had caused Nanny to cry out as Billy had heard. + +Mike had just given Nanny another and an extra hard cut with the +whip, when Billy recognized Nanny and with a bound he was at her +side leaving the fireman behind him and upsetting Mike in his mad +haste to get to Nanny. + +When Mike regained his feet he came at Billy with the butt of his +whip raised to strike him, but before he did so, he recognized +Billy as his long-lost goat, and was going to make up with him +and hitch him to the cart to help Nanny draw it, when Billy made +a plunge at him and sent him sprawling into the street. Then he +butted the cart over and spilled the milk and told Nanny to turn +around and run toward home and he would keep Mike off. + +Nanny did as she was told and soon the harness broke and let her +loose from the overturned cart. By this time Mike was on his feet +again, furious and mad enough at Billy to kill him had he caught +him, but with a kick of his heels in the air Billy and Nanny had +left him and were running away as fast as they could while the +firemen and the crowd stood still and watched. + +Mike ran until he was all out of breath and in turning a corner +sharply he ran into another boy coming in the opposite direction. +This made the boy mad and he struck at Mike hitting him in the +jaw. That was too much for Mike who was already angry at being +outwitted by the goats, so he pitched into the boy and they +fought until both had black eyes and bloody noses and a policeman +coming up at that time arrested them both for disorderly conduct. +While all this was happening the goats had made good their +escape. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy and Nanny Get into Mischief_ + + +When next we see Billy, he and Nanny are lying peacefully in the +moonlight fast asleep. After running away from Mike, Nanny showed +Billy the way into the country, for she knew the road well, as +she had had to draw a can of milk to town every morning. + +When they were once out of town Billy said: + +"Now, Nanny, we must find a nice meadow somewhere in which we can +get some grass to eat and water to drink and then you must tell +me all that has happened since last I saw you. But first we must +get as far away from the road Mike will have to take to get home +as we can, or he will find us." + +So they turned off at the first cross-road they came to and +hurried on until they found the fine, green pasture where we now +see them. + +The next day they were in this same pasture enjoying themselves +when they saw some boys coming toward them. At first they thought +the boys were looking for them; but soon discovered from their +conversation that the boys were going swimming in a little lake +at the end of the meadow near the woods. They passed close by the +goats without paying any attention to them. + +One boy had a bag of pop-corn he was eating and Billy smelling it +commenced to long for some. The firemen had bought salted and +buttered pop-corn for him every day, and the smell of this made +him hungry and he determined to get the bag from the boy. + +"But how can you, Billy?" asked Nanny, when he told her he was +going to get the pop-corn. + +"I'll tell you; when they leave their clothes on the bank and go +in swimming I will steal up and eat what is left in the bag, and +anything else I find in their pockets." + +"How are you going to get anything out of their pockets without +hands?" + +"Why, I will eat pocket and all if I smell anything in there I +like," answered Billy. + +"Billy Whiskers, you are the most determined goat I ever heard +of," said Nanny. "If you want anything you are going to have it, +no matter how you have to get it." + +"I guess you are right, Nan. But if you had ever tasted salted +and buttered pop-corn you, too, would have it if you had to hook +all five of those boys into the lake to get it. Come along, and +we will go over near the lake so when they go into the water we +can go through their clothes and I will give you your first taste +of a town delicacy in the shape of pop-corn." + +Billy and Nanny soon arrived at the bank of the lake where the +boys had gone in swimming, and behind a clump of bushes they +found the boys' clothes. + +Billy lost no time in smelling out the bag of pop-corn but alas! +when found, it was empty. Billy's disappointment knew no bounds +and he began to vent his spleen on the clothes that were lying +around by hooking and stamping on them. When throwing a coat up +in the air on his horns two nice red apples rolled out of one of +the pockets. After eating one of these and allowing Nanny to eat +the other, he felt a little less angry and commenced to smell +around for something else equally as good. + +All this time they could hear the boys shouting and splashing in +the water, oblivious of the mischief that was being done to their +clothes, for they could not see the goats through the bushes. + +"Oh, Billy, come here!" called Nanny, "and see what I have found. +It smells awfully good but I don't know what it can be." + +Billy went and after smelling the coat pronounced the good smell +to come from a piece of gingerbread in one of the pockets. + +"How do you know?" asked Nanny. + +"Well, I guess if you had eaten as many pieces of gingerbread as +I have you would not forget the name. When I lived at Mr. +Wagner's, his boys used to give it to me often." + +But the trouble was to get it out of the pocket now that it was +found. Billy threw the coat up in the air, shook it in his mouth +and did everything else he could think of, but the gingerbread +would not fall out, so when the coat turned wrong side out and +the pocket lay exposed he ate pocket and all, forgetting to save +any for Nanny. + +"Oh, Nanny, forgive me, I forgot to give you some and you found +it, but don't care for it did not taste very good and I felt +something hard go down my throat and I think I must have +swallowed a jack-knife also. + +"Here is something good, Nanny. A white shirt with starched +cuffs. You take one sleeve and I will take the other and I know +you will like the starchy taste." + +The goats were standing there each chewing on a cuff when they +heard the boys coming and it happened that they both heard the +noise at the same time, but turned to run in opposite directions +which tore the shirt from top to bottom and when the boys first +saw the goats they were scampering off with a piece of shirt +waving from their mouths. + +[Illustration] + +The boys started after them but the rough ground the goats were +running over hurt the boys' feet so they had to give up and +content themselves with throwing stones at the two runaways. + +When the boys went to see what damage had been done they found +one boy minus a pair of trousers, another a shirt and all the +rest had lost their collars and cuffs to say nothing of the +pockets that were missing. + +But the boy whose trousers were gone was in the worst fix, as the +others could go home without any collars and the boy minus a +shirt could button his coat up tight to his neck and no one would +know he had no shirt on. But alas for the trouserless boy! What +was he to do? At last they hit on a plan. He was to take one of +the boys' coats and stick his legs in the sleeves and button the +coat tightly in front and tie it on round his waist with a +string. This he did, but when he had to walk he could only take +the very shortest of steps. This, with the comical picture he +made, sent the boys into peals of laughter, and they rolled on +the ground and held their sides for pain from laughing when he +stubbed his toe and fell head over heels, or when he tried to +climb a fence. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy and Nanny Are Married_ + + +After leaving the boys the two goats trotted on and soon came out +on the other side of the wood and saw before them a beautiful +valley. Grazing peacefully beside a little brook that ran through +it, they saw a herd of goats. And at the upper end of the valley +beyond them they saw a large old-fashioned farmhouse with its +stables and outhouses. + +"Nan, let us go down and introduce ourselves to the head goat of +the flock and see if they won't let us stay with them for awhile. +There are so many of them that the farmer won't notice us among +them when he drives them into the stable to-night, and it will be +a good place for us to stay until Mike stops hunting for us, for +I know he won't give us up in a hurry and is probably looking for +us now, and I don't propose to live with such a common family as +Mike belongs to, for until now I have only lived with first-class +families." + +Nanny agreed to join the goats so the two trotted down the hill +bleating as they ran to attract the attention of the other goats. +The goats soon heard them, stopped eating and looked up, and when +Billy and Nanny were within speaking distance the leader of the +goats, a large black fellow, walked out to meet them. + +Billy introduced himself and then Nanny to the old goat who in +return told them his name was Satan and that he would be glad to +have them join his flock, adding that he was always glad to get +ahead of boys, as he had received some rough usage at their hands +when younger. + +"If we see Mike coming after you, we will all form in a circle +around you and Miss Nanny so he can't see you." + +All that day Billy and Nanny stayed with the other goats who +never tired of hearing the new-comers tell of the adventures they +had had, some of which seemed impossible to those country goats +who had never been off their own farm. + +That evening when the farmer drove the goats home he did not +notice Billy and Nan until he had got them into the little +enclosure where he always drove them to be fed; but when he +stood by the fence with his arm on the upper rail counting them, +his eye detected Billy immediately as he was so much taller than +any of the other goats, even old Satan, the leader. + +"Ho, Ho!" he thought to himself, "where did this fine goat come +from, I wonder," and when he went to drive Billy apart to get a +good look at him he spied Nanny who was trying to hide behind +Billy. + +"So my fine goat, you have brought your mate with you?" And Billy +who was not afraid of any man or thing, bleated back that he had, +though I doubt whether the man understood him or not. + +The man walked round and round Billy taking in all his fine points +and talking to himself all the time, but when he saw the gilt +shining on Billy's horns he stopped and stared in astonishment. +Then he slapped his knee with his hand and said: "Well, I swan! I +bet that goat has run away from the circus that is in town for I +don't know how else he got his horns gilded." + +Everything went smooth as silk for three nights but on the +fourth, had you been looking you would have seen an unusual +commotion among the goats when they were turned loose after +milking time to graze in the meadow during the night, as they +were allowed to do when the weather was fine; and to-night was an +ideal night with a low hungry moon that lit up everything as +bright as day. + +I know you are anxious to hear what the commotion was all about, +so will tell you. Billy and Nanny were to be married by the old +parson goat of the flock, and then they were all going to break +through the neighbor's fence into his turnip patch and eat up all +his turnips. + +It is needless to say that this scheme originated in Billy's +head, though from Satan's name you would have imagined it more +likely to have come from him; but in reality that goat was as +meek as a lamb and Satan should have been Billy's name by rights +for in his heart he was as mischievous as Satan. + +The wedding went off beautifully and the groom, minister and all +the others kissed the bride and you never saw a sweeter one than +poor little meek Nanny with her gentle ways; and to think she was +going to marry a goat twice her size and as fiery tempered as she +was mild! But people frequently marry their opposites, and why +should not goats? + +After the wedding they all ran skipping and jumping over to the +turnip patch and when they got there Billy, Satan and two other +old goats threw their weight against the fence and with a crash +it caved in and the whole flock of goats climbed over the broken +rails into the field where they feasted until daylight. + +The farmer who owned the field happened to look out of his window +next morning while dressing and saw the goats. He hurried into +his boots, and hatless and coatless, started out of the house +calling to his dogs to follow him. + +And the first thing the flock knew, several dogs were barking and +biting at their heels. Billy kept close to Nan and when a dog +came up to them he hooked him howling up into the air. Soon the +goats were all on their side of the fence again and the neighbor +was fixing up his fence as best he could, scolding all the time +he did so, saying: + +"I'll sue Farmer Windlass for the damage his pesky goats have +done, so I will, for the hateful things have eaten up all my +turnips, tops and all!" + +Several days after this when the goats were all in the meadow, +and Nanny was lying down under a tree for a nap, Billy, who was +tired of the monotony of going day after day to the same place, +stole off and went up to the house to see what amusement he could +find. + +When nearly there he came to a white-washed rail fence that +separated the pasture from the lane that led to the house. This +he went over easily by taking it at a running jump. Then he +followed the lane until he came to the house, the yard of which +was separated from the lane by a picket fence; but as good luck +would have it the gate was open, so Billy walked in and went +around to the kitchen door for he heard voices in the parlor, +which is an unusual thing in the country as they generally +entertain their company in the sitting room. Immediately Billy +knew they must have company for dinner. + +"I'm lucky," thought Billy, "I have come just in time to get +something good to eat, but I must be careful and not let them see +me or they will drive me back to the pasture. I will walk on the +grass so my hoofs won't make any noise and listen under the +window, and when the cook leaves the kitchen I will go in and +steal something good." + +While standing under the window with his head cocked to one side +listening, he noticed that the outside cellar doors were open. He +started to go down cellar and see what he could find, for he knew +they would put all their good things in the cellar until time to +bring them up to the table. + +Tiptoeing his way along, he sneaked down the cellar stairs and +there before him on a table were twelve plates of salad all +garnished and ready to be served. The salad was delicious as it +was cool and crisp and made of chicken served on young lettuce +leaves garnished with radishes. It was so palatable he ate it all +up even licking the plates; he had never been told it was bad +manners to lick your plate. + +[Illustration] + +Then he saw a floating-island pudding, with the whites of eggs +heaped up high and dotted with candied cherries, floating on the +custard underneath. He ate part of this, getting his head covered +with eggs. Next he spied several cakes covered with icing which +he licked off. Next he saw an ice-cream freezer. Now he had never +seen an ice-cream freezer before so he thought it must contain +something good if he could only get the top off to see what was +inside. In trying to get it off he upset the whole thing and as +the ice rattled out on the floor making a terrible noise, he left +everything and ran for the cellar door just in time to escape the +cook who had heard the noise and had come down the inside stairs +to see what was the matter. + +Billy ran around the house and seeing the front door open and no +one around, as they were all in the dining room, he went in and +up stairs. Here he nosed around smelling things and upsetting +things generally, when he came to the bed where the ladies had +laid their wraps. On one of the hats he saw a bunch of green +leaves; of course, he thought them real until he tried to eat +them and the wire stems were in his mouth. Then he tried to eat a +beautiful red rose on another hat with no better success so he +left them, and was just leaving the room when he saw another goat +coming in. He stopped to look at the goat and the other goat +stopped to look back. Then he lowered his horns and shook his +head, which the other goat did also. Now it made Billy mad to +have a goat mock everything he did, so he bleated for him to stop +immediately or he would hook him down the front stair. The other +goat opened his mouth to bleat but no sound came from it and +Billy stared at the new-comer harder than ever but the stranger +goat only stared back. Then Billy bleated, "You get out of here +in double quick time or I will have a fight with you!" The goat +opened its mouth as before but no sound came from it and it +continued to stand in Billy's way and stare right in his face. + +This was too much for Billy. He had given him warning to get out +of the way and he would not, so now he was going to make him, and +he went for the goat intending to butt him out of the door. But +instead of his head feeling the soft side of the goat he hit +something hard which broke in a thousand pieces cutting his head +and making the blood flow down his face. When this happened Billy +knew he had been fooled and had butted his own image in a mirror +and that there had been no goat there. + +The crash brought the ladies from the dining room headed by Mrs. +Windlass but when they got to the foot of the stairs to come up, +they saw a large white goat standing at the top with blood +flowing down his whiskers. The sight of the blood as much as the +goat made one lady faint and all the others ran in different +directions while Billy scampered down and out of the house. + +He was making for the pasture again as fast as he could when he +met a big turkey cock which spread his tail and swelled himself +out intending to keep Billy from passing, but when Billy came up +to him he quietly hooked him on top of the shed where he left him +with all the pride knocked out of him and his feathers drooping. + +Billy kept right on and was soon in the pasture. When Nanny saw +her Billy all bloody she commenced to cry and wanted to know who +had shot him. Billy told her he had not been shot and that he had +only cut his head a little on a piece of broken glass. This +explanation satisfied Nanny and she asked no questions. Naturally +Billy did not explain how he had hooked his own image. + +Billy walked over to the little stream that flowed through the +pasture and let the water run over his head and face and soon all +trace of blood was washed away, and when the farmer looked them +over that night to find the goat with the bloody face, that his +wife had told him had done all the mischief, he could find none, +so he took it for granted that some stray goat had come in and +done all the damage, and once again Billy got off without being +punished for his misdeeds. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy As a Performer in the Circus_ + + +One day when all the goats were grazing in the pasture, Billy +looked up and saw coming toward them the farmer and a large, fat +man. + +"What can they want?" thought Billy. "I guess I will walk out and +meet them and hear what they are talking about." + +As he came within hearing distance, he heard the farmer say: +"Here he comes now, the one I was telling you about and I don't +think you will have any trouble in teaching him anything you want +to, for he seems very smart and not afraid of 'Old Nick' +himself." + +"That is good," said the circus-man, "for a timid goat is no good +in a circus where they have to be with all the other animals." + +"So," thought Billy, "this is a man from the circus up in town +and he is thinking of buying me and making me perform in his +circus. Well, I guess not," and he kicked up his heels in their +faces and skipped off to the other side of the stream where they +could not get him. + +"It takes three to make a bargain where there is a goat in the +case," said Billy to himself, "and I will give them a good chase +if they try to catch me. And should they catch me, I pity the men +and animals at the circus when I get there for I shall use my +sharp horns to advantage and split a hole in their old tent and +come back to Nanny. Now they are looking at Satan, maybe the man +will buy him. No, I am afraid he won't for he is shaking his head +and pointing at me and here they come. The farmer is holding out +his hand as if he had something in it for me to eat. Oh, no, Mr. +Farmer, I am too old a goat to be caught with chaff. However, I +will stand still on this side of the stream and see what they +will do." + +And there Billy stood with his head raised waiting for them and +he made as fine a picture of a goat as you ever saw, standing on +a little green knoll with the silvery stream running at his feet. + +The circus-man was delighted with him for he was almost twice +the size of any other goat he had ever seen, and he thought how +fine he would look dressed up as a professor with his long, silky +beard. + +By this time the men were directly opposite Billy and he noticed +that the circus-man kept his hands behind him all the time, but +presently he drew them forward and in one he held a rope with a +long loop in it. + +"So, ho," thought Billy, "he expects to tie that rope around my +neck, does he? Well, let him cross the stream and catch me +first." + +But while Billy was thinking this the circus-man was making the +rope fly round and round his head in a long circle, and soon with +a quick twist, the rope straightened out and the loop fell over +Billy's head and settled on his neck while he stood looking at +them. + +Billy was the most surprised goat you ever saw, for it was the +first time he had ever seen a lasso thrown and had he only known +it, the circus-man had been a cowboy in his younger days and +lassoed many head of cattle. When Billy found he was fairly +caught, his pride had a fall, for he had thought himself too +smart to be caught, and instead of him leading the men a chase +and making them cross the brook to get him, they were pulling +him off the bank and through the water, making him follow them. + +At first he tried to pull back and get away, but he had to give +that up, for the rope tightened round his neck and shut off his +breath and he was glad enough to follow where they led. + +When Nanny saw what had happened she ran up to Billy bleating as +if her heart would break for she was very fond of him, and she +was afraid they were going to kill him or take him away forever. + +"Don't cry, Nanny. I will get loose and come back to-night, or +to-morrow night sure, if I can't get loose to-night; so don't +take on so. I know my way back and a circus tent is not a hard +thing to get out of." + +"But, Billy dear, they may tie you as they have now, and then you +can't get loose," said Nanny. + +"Oh, yes I can, when they leave me alone, I can chew the rope in +two." + +"But can't I go with you, Billy? I feel so terribly at being left +alone and, think of it, we have not been married two weeks." + +"What a pretty face that little Nanny goat has," said the +circus-man. + +"Yes," answered the farmer, "they both came to the pasture one +day and joined my goats and have been here ever since. I never +knew where they came from, or whom they belonged to." + +"Well, here we are at the barn, you must run back, little Nanny; +I can't take you with me to-day, though it does seem a shame to +separate you two lovers," said the circus-man. + +As Billy went through the bars he halted a second to give Nanny a +last good-bye kiss; and with the tears streaming down her face, +Nanny stood and watched him until they were out of sight. + +The circus-man tied Billy to the back of his buggy and whipping +up his horse he started for town. Billy had to run fast to keep +up and though he got out of breath, he could not stop unless the +horse did. The worst of it was the horse kicked up such a +dreadful dust that it nearly blinded Billy as it flew up in his +face from under the buggy. At last they came to the outskirts of +the town, where the circus tents were pitched, and Billy was +untied from the buggy and led inside a large tent where cages of +wild animals were arranged around the outer edge, while in the +center two elephants and four camels were tethered. When he got +inside, the circus-man called to one of the men to bring him a +strong peg. This he drove into the ground and tethered Billy to +it, like all the other animals were fastened. Then he told the +man to bring him a bunch of straw for the goat to lie on, and a +bundle of hay for him to eat. + +"Hay," thought Billy, "after nice tender young grass and turnips! +Well, I won't stay here long, that is one sure thing. I wonder if +I can understand a word of what these heathen, foreign animals +say, but I expect I can read their minds, if I can't understand +their tongues for most animals are mind readers and mind is the +same the world over, though their thoughts are not the same." + +While Billy was thinking this, the circus-man and the other man +left the tent and Billy was startled by the elephant sticking his +trunk up to Billy's mouth and asking him to speak through it, as +he was a little deaf and used his trunk as an ear trumpet. He was +just going to introduce himself to the elephant and ask the +elephant's name in return, when one of the camels in a weak, +weary voice asked the same question he had been going to ask the +elephant; so he introduced himself to the camel and she in return +presented him to all the other animals that were within hearing +distance. She did not introduce him to any of the beasts in the +cages, as she said the animals that were loose looked down upon +the caged ones and seldom spoke to them. The name of one of the +camels was Miss Nancy, and she was a regular old maid of a camel, +who did nothing but gossip and ask questions. + +"Have you ever performed in a circus or traveled with one +before?" she asked Billy. When hearing that he had not, she +rolled up her eyes, a habit she had, and exclaimed: "Poor +uneducated beast, what you have missed, never to have been taught +to perform in a circus." This was a calamity in her eyes. She +could not remember ever being anywhere else, as she had been born +in a circus in this country shortly after her mother had been +brought here from Persia. + +"I am so glad I was not born in Persia, for had I been I should +have had to carry heavy loads and cross the burning desert with +very little water to drink. While now, all I have to do is to +march in the processions and then stand and look wise while the +boys feed me peanuts as they walk into the circus to see the +performance. Oh, you will like being with us when you get used to +the confinement," she said. + +"For mercy sakes! Nancy, do keep still and give some one else a +chance to talk," said her mother. + +Just then the lion roared and when he roared, all the other +animals stopped talking for he was still looked upon as king of +the beasts although he was caged. They all stood a little in awe +of him for fear he would break through his cage and chew them up, +as he threatened to do so many times when they did not stop +talking immediately when he roared. + +This time he roared to know who the new comer was and if he was +an American relative of his, for as Billy had a beard like the +lion's, only much longer, the lion thought he must be an American +lion. + +"Come over here, near my cage, Mr. Beardy, where I can see you," +said the lion. + +"I can't," said Billy, "my rope is too short." + +"Oh, very well," he roared back, "I will see you in the +procession, to-morrow, for I hear you are to march back of my +cage." + +The lion's keeper came in to see what the lion was roaring about +and in passing Billy he stopped to get a good look at him, and +presently he was joined by another man, who Billy found out took +the part of the clown and who was expected to walk by Billy's +side in the procession while a monkey rode his back. + +"You are a pretty fine looking goat, old fellow, and I expect we +will become great friends. Here is a lump of sugar to begin our +friendship with, or do you prefer tobacco?" said the clown. + +"He seems like a nice man," thought Billy, "but I never thought +to see the day when I would march in a procession with a monkey +on my back and a clown at my side, and I don't know whether I +will allow him to ride or not, but I guess I will behave for +awhile and see what life is like under a circus tent." + +The next day dawned bright and fair and there was great commotion +throughout the circus, getting ready for the eleven o'clock +procession that was to march through the streets. Early in the +morning, Billy was led into the sawdust ring, and a peculiar +saddle like a little platform was strapped to his back. This the +monkey was to dance on, dressed as a ballet girl, with yellow, +spangled skirts, a satin bodice and a blue cap with a feather in +it on his head. + +When Billy first saw the monkey in this dress walking on his hind +legs toward him to get on his back, he had a good mind to toss +him up to the top of the tent, he felt so disgusted; but his +curiosity got the better of him and he decided to wait and see +what they expected him to do next. He soon found out. They +wanted him to trot around the ring, and not jump when the ring +master cracked his long lashed whip at him, while the monkey +danced on his back and jumped through paper rings, as the lady +circus riders do. + +"This is very easy," thought Billy, "I don't mind this in the +least, only I don't want to go around too many times one way for +it makes me dizzy." + +"That will do for this morning, Billy, you are a good goat," said +the man. Just then the monkey jumped off Billy's back, and as he +ran past him, he gave Billy's beard a pull. Like a shot Billy was +after him and had the monkey not run up a pole, Billy would have +killed him. From that time on, Billy and the monkey, whose name +was Jocko, hated each other and an outward peace was only kept up +when someone was around to keep them apart. + +The monkey would climb a pole or sit on top of a wagon, or +anything high that was handy, so Billy could not reach him and +then call him names and sauce him until Billy pawed the earth +with rage, which made the monkey laugh. The only one that could +get even with the monkey's tongue was the parrot, and she and the +monkey would sit and sauce each other by the hour. + +Billy was about cooled down from his fuss with the monkey, when +he heard a bugle call and the elephant told him that it was the +signal for the procession to start. While Billy had been put +through his paces in the circus ring, the elephants had been +decked out in scarlet blankets embroidered with gold and funny +little summer houses, as Billy thought, strapped to their backs, +in which ladies were to ride. The camels had also been fixed up, +and from four to six horses, with waving plumes on their heads, +had been hitched to each circus wagon. + +At another signal from the bugle, they all started to move, led by +the men and women performers, dressed in their best spangled +velvet suits. Then came what Billy thought to be the best thing in +the procession, a golden chariot drawn by twelve Shetland ponies, +each pony ridden by a little boy postilion, in scarlet velvet; +while in the chariot sat a beautiful, little, golden-haired girl, +dressed as a queen, with a diamond crown on her head. + +It fairly took Billy's breath away, he thought it all so +beautiful, and he started to follow. + +"All right, Jim, let him go there if he wants to. He probably +thinks the ponies are goats and will behave better than if put +with the lions." + +"What an idiot that man is!" thought Billy, "to think I don't +know a pony from a goat." + +It was a good thing they let him march there for he was so taken +up with watching the ponies in front of him that he forgot to be +mad at Jocko, who was going through all sorts of antics on his +back and swinging on Billy's horns. Everything was going smoothly +when Billy saw Mike O'Hara coming out of the crowd; he came up to +the clown that was walking beside him and said: "Look here, that +is my goat!" + +"Well, I guess not, you must be crazy." + +"I'll prove it to you," said Mike. "Do you see that black spot on +his forehead and that he has one black hoof and all the others +are white?" + +"That don't prove anything," said the clown. "You just noticed +that as we were walking along, and now you come up here and try +to claim our goat." + +"I'll give you another proof," said Mike. "He will come when I +call him." + +"All right, call him, and I bet he won't follow you," said the +clown. + +Mike held out his hand and called him by name, but Billy did not +turn an inch though he knew he belonged to Mike. He did not +propose to go with him and be made to pull milk carts. He +preferred to stay where he was as he liked the excitement of a +circus life. + +When Billy did not go to Mike, it made the clown laugh and he +said: "There, I told you so. The goat never saw you before." + +"Yes, he has," said Mike, "but it is just like his cussedness to +pretend he don't know me." + +"Go along, I can't bother talking to you any more," said the +clown, as all this time Mike had been walking beside the clown as +they marched. + +"Well, you need not talk to me any more," said Mike, "but I am +going to have my goat." And with that he caught hold of Billy's +horns and was going to lead him away. + +"Here, take your hands off that goat, you are stopping the +procession!" But Mike held on and the clown gave him a hit in the +ribs. Mike struck back and a policeman, who was standing in the +crowd, ran out and arrested Mike for disorderly conduct and for +stopping the procession. This was the second time that Mike had +been arrested on Billy's account. + +When the procession returned to the tents, all the animals and +horses were fed and allowed to rest so as to be fresh for the +afternoon's performance. Billy had been resting only a short +time, when a couple of men came toward him, one carrying a table +and the other a long black gown of some kind. + +"What in the world are they going to do now," thought Billy. + +When they came up to him, the man that was carrying the table put +it down and then brought a high backed arm chair and set it up +close to the table. Then the men came up to Billy and one of them +said: "Now, old fellow, we are going to make a professor out of +you," and with that they both took hold of him and made him stand +on his hind legs while they put the black gown on him and a black +skull cap on his head, and a pair of spectacles on his nose,--the +latter they had to tie on. Then a man got on each side of him and +supported him to the table where they made him sit in the chair. +They put his forehoofs on the table and a large book before him +and a pen behind his ears. When they had him all fixed, you never +saw such a wise looking professor in your life as he made, with +his long, white beard. The men were so delighted with his +appearance and the way he behaved when dressed up, that they +called all the rest of the circus people to come and look. Of +course they laughed and praised and petted Billy, until he was +nearly bursting with conceit and they all agreed that it would +tickle the children most to death to see how solemn and straight +a goat could sit in a chair. + +"Now Billy, we will take these things off and let you rest for +your back must be tired as you are not used to sitting up, but +you will get used to it and it won't make you tired after awhile. +Come here, and I will give you this nice red apple for being such +a good goat. You behaved so nicely that I think we will venture +to show you off at the performance this afternoon." + +This they did and he got more encores and whistles and clapping +of hands than anything else that was shown that afternoon, more +even than the ponies. Before they brought him in, the Ring Master +came in and said: "Now ladies and gentlemen, I am about to +introduce to you the oldest and most wonderful astrologer now +living. He will read to you, from a mystic book, the fate of the +world and whether it is to be destroyed by fire or water." + +[Illustration] + +When he had finished speaking, four men drew a platform in, on +which Billy was seated in his chair at the table. But the +strangest part of it all was, that when everything was still and +the crowd were all watching him, he commenced to read and turn +the pages of the book, and he spoke so plainly that everyone +could understand and hear. This surely was wonderful, and the +children could not make up their minds whether it was a man with +goat's horns, for his long horns stuck out through two holes on +either side of his cap, or a goat with a man's voice; and when +the Ring Master told the children that the professor had just +dropped from the sign of the Zodiac called Capricorn, which is +represented in all the almanacs by a goat, they thought he must +be telling the truth. He did not tell them that hidden under the +platform was a man that did the talking, and when the leaves of +the book turned, that he was pulling a string which made them +turn over, but everyone thought the goat was doing it himself. + +After the performance was over, all the children as they passed +fed Billy peanuts, candy, pop-corn and apples as he stood by the +elephant. + +Billy had behaved like a lamb for days and gone through all his +performances without a hitch,--in fact he had become the pet of +the circus, and allowed to roam about at will and was never tied +not even at night. So this night after all had settled down and +gone to bed, Billy, feeling wakeful, thought he would move around +a little and take a peep into the other tents. First he stuck his +nose into a little tent where they sold pop-corn, peanuts, +lemonade etc., during the performances. + +"Now is my chance," thought Billy, "to eat all the pop-corn I +want, for I never have gotten enough to satisfy me at any one +time, but how can I get it out of that glass case. It looks so +easy to get at and smells so good, I must have some, even if I +have to break the glass to get at it." + +He stood licking the glass for a little while; then his greed +getting the better of him, he backed off and gave the glass a +quick hard knock with his horns. It broke and flew in all +directions and let the pop-corn roll out in a perfect stream. +Billy stopped to listen a minute to see if the noise of the +breaking glass had brought anyone to see what was the matter, and +when no one came, he commenced to eat the salted and buttered +corn, and he ate until for once in his life he could say he had +had enough. But, oh my! what a thirst it had given him, and he +did not know where to get a drink unless he went and stole it out +of the elephant's tub of water, but he did not like to go there +as the elephant's keeper slept near his charge and he might catch +him and tie him up. + +Billy was just leaving the tent when he ran into a large tin +water cooler. It took but a minute to push the top off with his +nose and then he began to drink. But what was the matter with the +water? It had turned sour and had round pieces of yellow, sour +stuff floating in it; it was his first taste of lemonade, +consequently he did not know what he was drinking. + +In his disgust at finding no water, he revenged himself by +upsetting the water cooler and spilling all the lemonade. Then he +walked out and going into the first tent he came to, he found +himself in the room of the leading lady who was fast asleep on a +cot. At the end of the tent he saw a small table with a +looking-glass hanging above it, but when Billy saw his reflection +in it, he did not make the mistake of thinking it was another +goat like he had once before. He walked up to the table and +seeing a stick of red stuff that looked like candy, he ate it, +but it turned out to be a stick of red paint that the leading +lady used to paint her lips. After tasting her powder, and +upsetting her bottle of perfumery, and chewing her blonde wig, +thinking it some kind of yellow grass, he walked out without +awakening her. + +Next he went into a tent that had pictures of snakes of all kinds +painted on it. This was the tent occupied by the snake charmers, +but Billy knew nothing about large snakes, only little inoffensive +garter snakes, so he went in and commenced nosing around in the +baskets he saw setting there with blankets in them to see what was +under the blankets. + +In the first one, he felt something cold and slippery and not to +his taste, so he let it alone, thinking it a piece of garden +hose; but when he stuck his nose in the next basket something +long and slim and pliable stuck its head out and wound itself +around his body drawing itself tighter and tighter, until Billy +found himself staggering for want of breath. When he was nearly +squeezed to death he made a death-like groan which awoke the +Indian snake charmer who was asleep in one corner of the tent on +a pile of rugs. The man took in the situation at a glance, and +came to Billy's rescue, making the snake uncoil itself by playing +on a kind of bagpipe, a queer, weird, monotonous piece of music. +This charmed the snake and it uncoiled itself from Billy and, +swaying its body, crawled toward the snake charmer. + +The second that Billy felt its coils slip from his body, he took +a long breath and ran from the tent not even stopping to wiggle +his head in thanks for his preservation. Once outside, he made +his way back to his own tent where he lay down on his pile of +straw to snatch a little sleep before daylight, as unconcerned as +if nothing had happened. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_Billy and the Snakes_ + + +The next day after Billy's midnight prowl which was Saturday, +there was great commotion among the circus people, for the +leading lady accused her rival, the brunette, of coming into her +dressing room while she slept and destroying her blonde wig; +while the pop-corn man said thieves had been at his stand and +broken his glass case and eaten his pop-corn, beside they had +spilled all his lemonade that he had intended using the next day; +the night watchman was going to be discharged for not attending +to his business; then the Indian snake charmer came along and +told them the thief had visited his tent but his snakes had +frightened him away. + +"And he was a big fellow I can tell you. I did not dare tackle +him." + +"Oh my!" said the leading lady, "and to think he was in my tent +and I slept through it all." + +"There, I told you I did not touch your old straw colored wig!" +said the brunette. + +And they all said, "Do tell us all about it, what time of the +night did he come, and which way did he go when he ran away?" + +"All right," said the snake charmer, with a twinkle in his eye +the others did not see, "sit down and I will tell you all about +it,--how I was awakened by a groan, and saw standing in the +middle of my tent, a huge fellow, with a long, white beard and +white, agonized face; for you must know that my boa-constrictor +was squeezing him to death." + +"Oh, how awful! Weren't you frightened?" said the leading-lady. + +"No, because I knew he could not touch me while the snake was +coiled around him. At first I thought I would let the boa kill +him, but he looked so awful with his eyes sticking out of his +head, as the snake squeezed him tighter and tighter, that I felt +sorry for him; so I began to play the music I always play when I +want the snakes to come to me, and the boa stopped squeezing the +goat and came to me." + +"Goat, did you say? You mean burglar." + +"No, I mean goat, or _burglar_ if you would rather call him so, +for your thief was nothing more or less than Billy Whiskers." + +"You mean, horrid man to fool us so!" they all said. + +And the snake charmer got up and hurried out of the tent for he +saw blood in the eye of the champion boxer and he thought he had +better get out before the man took hold of him. + +Saturday was to be the last day of the circus in Smithville and +immediately after the evening performance they were to break camp +and move in the night, and be on the road all day Sunday +traveling to the next town, where they were booked to give a +performance on Monday morning. + +Now all this meant quick work and rapid travel, as they could not +go by train, there being no railroad to this town, so they had to +have their circus horses and wagons move them. + +When Billy heard them talking about moving, he thought it would +be great fun and looked forward to it with pleasure. But he +little knew what was before him. + +During the morning performance Billy behaved all right, but in the +afternoon he was so excited and anxious to be off that he behaved +very badly. He ran around the ring so fast that when the monkey +jumped through the paper hoops expecting to land on Billy's back, +he was beyond him and the monkey landed on the ground and had to +run to catch up. This made the ring-master angry and he hit Billy +a sharp cut with his whip, but instead of making him behave better +he got worse and worse. He would stand still and shake himself +until he nearly made the monkey's bones crack; and when the +ring-master hit him, he stood on his hind legs and the monkey had +to cling to his horns to keep from falling off. When Billy found +he could not throw the monkey, he ran for the pole in the center +of the ring that supported the tent, and tried to butt him off but +the monkey was too quick for him and dodged every time. At last +Billy tried rolling with him, but this the ring-master could not +allow as it would ruin the saddle strapped to his back. He gave +him a few good cuts with the whip that stung like everything and +this turned Billy's wrath from the monkey to him, and like a shot +he was up and after the ring-master. He planted his horns in the +middle of the ring-master's back and ran him to the edge of the +ring where he gave him a butt that sent him flying to the other +tent. + +Billy was punished for this and told he should have no supper, +and he understood what they said although they did not suppose he +did. + +"All right," he thought, "no supper, no performance, for I won't +behave and take my part unless I am fed. But I will find +something to eat even if they won't feed me, for a goat can eat +almost anything from tin cans to apples." + +[Illustration] + +The man who had tied Billy had scarcely gotten out of sight when +he commenced to chew his rope in two and when it dropped apart, +Billy walked over and commenced to eat the elephant's food. This +the elephant did not like. He told Billy to stop and go eat his +own supper, but Billy would not, neither would he take the +trouble to explain to the elephant that he hadn't any supper and +was expected to go supperless. Now if he had only told the +elephant, who had always been a good friend of his, he would +gladly have given him half of his supper; but Billy was in a +contrary mood and would say nothing, but kept on eating. This +provoked the elephant, so he quietly wound his trunk around Mr. +Billy and lifting him from the ground, set him on top of the +lion's cage that was standing near. Billy was more surprised when +he found himself standing on top of the lion's cage than he had +ever been in his life, but only for a minute for he jumped down +and disappeared through a tear in the canvas of the tent. As he +ran away he heard all the animals laughing, though you might have +called it the lion's roar and the hyena's call, and above all the +racket he heard the head animal keeper asking what all this +racket was about; and although they all tried to tell him by each +giving his particular call, he was too stupid to understand +animal talk, so lost all the fun of the joke. + +When Billy came through the side of the tent, he found himself +near the tent where the horses and ponies were kept. Smelling +corn and oats, he walked in, and while talking to his particular +friends, the Shetland ponies, he helped himself to their supper. + +While in this tent he became acquainted with a little Mexican +Burroetta that was destined to become his closest companion and +friend in the future. The Burroetta was just his height, of a +mouse color, with a white streak down its spine and four white +stockinged feet, but the most peculiar thing about its looks was +its exceedingly long ears,--ears that were as long as Billy's +horns. It was the cutest, smartest little creature you ever saw, +and had most beautiful, large, liquid eyes. It looked as mild as +a dove, but was quite deceiving for it was as full of the "old +scratch" as Billy himself. It must have been this kindred spirit +that drew them together from the first. + +That night the people had come to the circus; looked at the +animals and passed into the performing tent; several of the +things on the programme had been gone through with and it was +Billy's turn to perform next and still Billy had not been found. + +Every man and woman on the place had been looking for him, but +though they had hunted everywhere and inquired of every one if he +had seen a large, white goat with long whiskers, no one had seen +him and they were about to substitute something else for his +performance when one of the men, coming into the ponies' tent for +something, saw Billy lying down by the little Burroetta. + +"Here Billy, you rascal, come along with me. We have been looking +everywhere for you." + +And Billy was led off and made to go through his performance. But +to-night he was cross and still angry with the ring-master. So +when about through with his imitation of the professor, he leaned +over and took a mouthful of the leaves of the book and chewed +them up. Then he stood up in his chair with his gown and +spectacles on, and before anyone could stop him he had jumped +down and ran out of the tent, with the spectacles still on his +nose and his gown trailing after him. + +The excitement and confusion this caused in the circus knew no +bounds. And when the children discovered that the astrologer was +nothing more or less than an ordinary goat, and that his voice +had come from a man, who was a ventriloquist, hid under the +platform, their disgust was complete and it broke up the circus +performance for that night. + +Billy chewed, wriggled and pulled at his gown until he tore it +off and then he kicked up his heels and disappeared in the +darkness outside; and he was careful to keep in the shadows away +from the light, so no one could see him, for he had sense enough +to know that he had done wrong and would be punished if caught. + + + + +_What Billy Did on Sunday_ + + +Billy, after running out of the circus, stood in the shadow of a +shed under a large tree. From his hiding place he could perceive +all that was going on at the circus as it was bright moonlight, +beside all the workmen had lights fastened in their caps so they +could see without the bother of carrying a lantern around. + +First Billy saw them hitch the draft-horses to the animal wagons +and vehicles they had for carrying baggage. Then the big tent +closed as if it were an umbrella, and it was rolled up and put in +a wagon made purposely for hauling it; then all the riding horses +with the men and women performers on their backs, started the +procession. Next came the cages filled with animals and last the +baggage vans and feed wagons. + +After they were well on their way Billy trotted on behind keeping +well in the shadows. They had been crawling silently along the +highways like a huge snake for a long while when all of a sudden +the long line came to a sudden halt. + +There was great noise and confusion ahead and, of course, Billy's +curiosity called him to the front immediately to see what was the +matter. In passing the wagons which had been left by their +drivers to go forward and find out the cause of the sudden stop, +Billy accidentally ran into his friend, Senorita Burroetta, which +means Miss Baby Buro, as his friend was called. + +"How are you, Betty?" For in their short acquaintance Billy had +shortened her name to that. "I did not know you with that pack on +your back. Aren't you tired carrying that heavy load?" + +"Yes," answered Betty, "and the girth pinches me. They did not +get it on straight and every time I step it hurts me awfully." + +"Here let me see if I can't fix it," said Billy. + +"Oh never mind, I can stand it, for it isn't the first time they +have buckled a piece of skin in; beside you could not unbuckle it +with your teeth or feet." + +"No, but I can chew the girth in two if you don't mind being +pinched a little more while I am doing it," said Billy. + +So Billy commenced to chew the girth which he could get at easily +where it stuck out from Betty's side to pass over the load on her +back; and we know better than Betty that Billy was good at +chewing rope and straps in two. Soon the girth began to give and +Betty swelled herself out and the girth split in two and let the +load on her back slip to the ground. + +Then the goat and Burro ran ahead to see what all the scolding +and loud talking were about. When they got there, they found the +elephant had broken down a little bridge that crossed the narrow +stream and there was no way to get the wagons over. The elephant, +before crossing, had put his forefoot out to try the strength of +the bridge and with a little shake the bridge had collapsed and +dropped into the water. Had he stepped on it without trying it, +he would most likely have been killed for it surely would have +gone down with him on it. + +The only way now to get across was for the wagons to drive down +the steep embankment, through the water and up the other side. +This they proceeded to do, but Billy and Betty jumped the space. +Then they scampered on ahead after the horseback riders who had +gone before. + +As they ran they could hear the lion's roar and the hyena's laugh +when their cages were driven into the water, and the water rose +on them, while the elephants kept up such a trumpeting that it +awoke all the country folks who were near enough to hear it, and +they thought the Day of Judgment had come and it was Gabriel's +trumpet they heard. + +A poor, ignorant Swedish family that lived on the bank of the +stream by the bridge were awakened by the noise but were afraid +to get up and look out of the window to see what all the +commotion was about. + +At last the brave husband by coaxing and threatening succeeded in +getting his wife out of bed. As she had never been to a circus in +her life or seen anything but the picture of wild animals, she +was nearly frightened to death at what she saw passing in the +moonlight, and ran back to bed and put her head under the covers +and would not speak a word, though her husband threatened to kick +her out of bed. Poor woman, she could not tell him what she saw, +for she did not know the name of the animals. + +At last her husband got up courage enough to go to the window and +look out as his wife had, but he stayed less time than she did +for just as he got there the lions gave a mighty roar and all the +animals followed suit, for the lions' cage was passing through +the water and they did not like the cold water crawling up their +legs and of course they thought they were going to be drowned; +while the Swedish workman thought he was going to be chewed up +alive, and flew back to bed with teeth chattering and held on to +his wife for protection; and had a lion really come after them he +would probably have thrown his wife at the lion's head for him to +eat, while he made good his escape. + +All this time Billy and Betty were trotting along side by side +gossiping about people in the circus, and all the time it became +lighter and lighter as it was getting nearer sunrise. + +About five o'clock they saw, away in the blue distance, a tall +church steeple and they knew they must be nearing the town where +the circus was to be held. + +As they came nearer they could hear the sound of the church bell +ring out on the stillness, calling the people to early morning +mass, and soon they could see the people going to church, and the +mothers take their children by the hand and pull them into the +church as they did not want them to see anything so wicked as a +circus procession on Sunday morning. + +Billy noticing this, said, "Let us give the children a treat. +When the people are all in the church we will walk in and see +what it looks like inside." + +The two mischief-makers hung around out of sight, until the +people had stopped going in, then they walked boldly into the +vestibule. Here they saw a marble basin filled with clear, +cool-looking water. They stopped and drank it, not knowing it was +the holy water the Catholics cross themselves with before +entering church. + +The church aisle was separated from the vestibule only by two +green baize doors. These Billy and Betty pushed open with their +noses and while the organ was playing and the priests were +kneeling, Billy and Betty walked the whole length of the middle +aisle, side by side, as if they were a bridal couple. When they +arrived at the altar, Billy stopped and commenced to eat some +roses that were in a vase on the altar steps. + +The congregation sat stupefied with horror to see these animals +in church and directly behind the kneeling priest and choir boys. +The music made Betty lonesome and she threw up her head and let +out such a loud, mule-like bray that it frightened the kneeling +priest and he jumped up as if shot for he thought he had heard +Balaam's ass bray; but when he turned and saw standing behind him +a live burro and a goat, his astonishment knew no bounds and he +stood gazing at them with open mouth, while the choir boys +laughed and giggled and thought it a good joke. + +Soon the ushers and deacons came to their senses enough to come +forward and try to drive the beasts out. But when Billy saw them +coming he ran up the altar steps into the pulpit, and Betty ran +through the first door she saw open, which proved not to be the +outer door but one which led into the room where the choir boys +dressed. + +When Betty appeared there, the boys laughed and screamed and +drove her out into the church again, and kicking up her heels she +ran out of the church, braying for Billy. When Billy saw her go +he ran down the altar steps, upsetting a near-sighted deacon who +was coming up to help drive him out, and bleating to Betty that +he was coming he rushed through the door. + +They trotted along side by side down the street until they came +to a beautiful place surrounded by a tall, iron fence. Through +the fence they could see a large, brick residence with a cupola +on top. On one side of the house was the flower garden, while on +the other a fruit patch and vegetable garden. And oh, how good +the fresh, green lettuce and beet tops looked to these tired, +hungry travelers. + +"Let us go in and help ourselves," said Billy. + +"We can't get through the fence," said Betty, "and it is too high +to jump." + +"You remind me of Nanny, for she was always finding objections +and obstacles to everything I wanted to do." + +"Well, who in the world is Nanny? I should like to know," said +Betty. + +"Why haven't I told you about her?" asked Billy. + +"No, you have not, Billy Whiskers, and I should like to know +right away." + +"Well, I will tell you, Senorita Burroetta, and you need not be +so cross about it either. She is my wife and a sweeter, dearer +little wife no goat ever had before!" + +Betty stopped stock still in the road and glared at Billy for a +second, before she could speak from astonishment. Then she said: +"Billy Whiskers you are a gay deceiver and you know you never +told me you were married and I am sure I always thought you were +a bachelor." + +"I am very sorry if it makes any difference to you, but I never +told you because we have been so busy talking of other things and +I have not had a chance." + +"Oh, very well then," said Betty, "I will forgive you if you did +not mean to keep it from me." + +So the two made up and commenced to look for a gate or way to get +into the garden. At last they saw where an iron bar or two of the +fence had been broken, making quite a good-sized hole and through +this they squeezed themselves and were soon having a feast off +of Deacon Jones's prize cabbages, lettuce and beets, while the +family, including the Deacon, were at church. + +They were still eating when they heard the iron gates shut with a +clang and looking up they saw the Deacon coming toward them, +swinging his cane in frantic anger, showing that he had already +forgotten his Sunday-school lesson: "Let not your angry passions +rise." + +[Illustration] + +Billy, with a mouthful of carrots, started to run toward the +stables, trusting to find a way out and Betty with a twist of her +body and a squeal followed after him. + +They were just going into the barn, the door of which was +standing open, when a little, yellow dog ran out at them and +commenced to bark and bite at Betty's heels. She let one foot fly +out quickly behind and Mr. Doggie went rolling over in the dirt, +and at that minute Billy spied a little open gate that led into +the orchard and through this they both ran with the Deacon and +dog still after them. + +When they got to the other side of the orchard they came to a +rail fence. This Billy took at one jump, breaking the top rail as +he went over, and it was a good thing he did for it helped Betty +get over as she was not as high a jumper as Billy. + +They were over the fence and a good way down the road before the +deacon got to the fence, and then he was so out of breath from +running that he gave up the chase, called off his dog, and +throwing two or three stones at them, turned and walked slowly +back to the garden to see what damage they had done. + +Billy and Betty wandered around all day and at night went to +sleep in a straw stack on the outskirts of the town. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_What Billy Did on Monday_ + + +All day Sunday the circus people worked to get their tents up and +everything in shape for the Monday's performances, and when at +night they went to look over the animals to see if all were there +they missed Billy and Betty. + +"Now there will be the dickens to pay," said the animal keeper, +"if that goat can't be found for he has been the means of +bringing more children to the circus than anything else we have +had for them." + +"I will eat my shirt off if I know where to look for him! You can +bet your life he is a good one on a hide." + +"You and I will have to go hunt him, John, so go saddle two +horses and we will start out. He must have turned into some of +the lanes we passed on our way here, and coaxed Betty off with +him. They could easily get away without being noticed when the +bridge broke down. You search the town and I will take the road +and lanes." + +While the men were looking for the two runaways, they were +quietly grazing along the road that led to the town. + +Now Billy got tired of the quiet and said, "Come Betty, let's go +into the town and see the sights and have some fun, and maybe we +can find a grocery store where there are good things setting +outside to eat, or a fruit stand," for Billy had not forgotten +how luscious the pears and peaches had tasted that he had stolen +from a fruit stand one day. + +This was agreeable to Betty and the two trotted along side by +side toward the town. Presently they came to a large sign-board +on which pictures of the circus were posted. There Billy spied +himself pictured as trotting along with the monkey riding on his +back and jumping through the paper hoops. + +At sight of the monkey Billy got mad, as usual, and before Betty +knew what he was going to do, he ran up to the fence and +commenced trying to butt it down, calling to Betty to come help +kick it over. + +They were thus employed when a farmer came along the road and, +seeing them, took out his whip and drove them off. + +They ran along before him for a while and then dropped back until +he had passed them. As soon as he had passed, Billy spied on the +back of his wagon a large basket of celery with the tops sticking +out over the edge. + +"Look, Betty, look!" cried Billy, pointing his nose in the +direction of the wagon. "Let's follow on behind and eat up his +celery. It will be a good joke on him." And the two scampered +after the farmer and soon caught up, for he was driving slowly; +and he could not see them for the things that were piled up high +behind him. + +When the two rascals caught up to the wagon they ate all the +celery they wanted, which was more than half of it, as it was +deliciously juicy and tasted fine. They had had no breakfast +except some dusty grass that grew beside the road. + +While they ate the farmer whistled low to himself and planned how +he would sell his celery to the grocery man; and then, with the +money, go to the circus, and see the wonderful astrologer that +was neither goat nor man who was advertised to perform. He little +guessed that the "Wonderful Astrologer" was at that moment eating +up his celery and making it doubtful whether he would have any +left or not. + +Billy and Betty were still eating when a dog spied them and ran +out from his yard after them. Billy turned and tried to hook him +but the dog was too quick. He dodged, but in trying to escape +from Billy he got too near Betty's heels and she gave him a kick +in the side that sent him rolling over into the dust, yelping, +and before he could get up Billy helped him up by sticking his +horns under him and tossing him over the fence. + +[Illustration: THE FARMER STOPPED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ROW WAS +ABOUT.] + +The owner of the dog saw this and ran out calling for the farmer +to stop or he would have him arrested for allowing his goat to +hook his dog. The farmer stopped to see what all the row was +about, and while the owner of the dog was shaking his fist in the +farmer's face, and the farmer was trying to explain that the goat +and mule, as he called Betty, did not belong to him, Billy and +Betty sneaked off and disappeared down a side road and to their +surprise found themselves facing the circus tents. + +If they went forward the circus people would catch them, and if +they went back, the angry man and farmer would be after them. As +they stood discussing which way to go, it was decided for them, +for the animal keeper on his horse turned into the lane behind +them and drove them to the circus in double-quick time with his +long whip. + +All the way there he scolded them as he tried to crack them with +his whip, and it was no fun being hit with it as it seemed to +take a piece of flesh out each time it struck. + +[Illustration] + +Betty ran in among the Shetland ponies where she belonged and +Billy dodged into the first tent he saw with the flap open. For a +wonder it turned out to be the one where he belonged, and in less +time than it takes to tell it Billy found himself chained beside +the elephant. + +"There, Master Billy, I guess you won't chew yourself loose in a +hurry again, and have me chasing all over the country for you," +said the animal keeper. + +And to make up for his past bad behavior Billy performed better +the next day than he had at any time. + + + + +_What Billy Did on Tuesday_ + + +Tuesday turned out to be a dismal, cold, rainy day and Billy was +glad enough to stay quietly in the tent. He thought it would be a +good chance to become better acquainted with the animals in the +cages and he decided to call on them all by beginning at one cage +and visiting each in order until he had completed the circle. + +He could not stay where he was, for Nancy, the old maid camel, +made him nervous; she talked so much, and when she was not +talking she chewed her cud like an old maid chews gum. + +"How can you stand her?" Billy whispered to the elephant. + +"Oh, I have got used to it," said the elephant, "and I don't hear +her half the time, and when she gets _too_ bad I just pull the +flops of my ears down tight to my head, and I can't hear a word. +And then I set my trunk to wobbling and make it nod 'yes' half +the time and 'no' the other, and I find it answers quite well." + +"But how do you know when to say 'yes' and when to say 'no'?" +Billy asked. + +"I don't mind if I do answer wrong part of the time, and if I get +too much off she stops talking altogether and that pleases me +better, so you see it answers very well." + +"But don't you get tired leading such an inactive life?" asked +Billy. + +"I used to," answered the elephant, "when I was younger, and +before my mate died. But since she died and I have rheumatism I +don't seem to care much, for without her there would be nothing +to do if I did run away; beside your climate is so cold, and your +forests so skinny and bare looking there would not be any fun +living in them." + +"Our forests skinny and bare looking, did you say? You don't know +what you are talking about. I guess our forests are as nice as +yours in India, and not half so full of snakes and chattering +monkeys, to say nothing of the nasty crocodiles and hippopotamuses +that you have in your rivers; and vines growing all over the trees +and from one tree to another, so thickly you can't walk without +making a path for yourself by breaking them down." + +"Oh, but that is just what I like," said the elephant, "and the +air is so hot and moist you feel fine, while here you are either +all dried up with heat or shivering with cold." + +"Well, every one to his taste, I suppose," and he walked over to +the hyenas' cage to make their acquaintance, out of curiosity, as +he knew little about hyenas. + +"My, aren't they homely, sneaky, shifty-eyed looking things!" +thought Billy. "I would not like to meet one alone after dark, +but still I hear they are cowardly and wait until one is dead +before they try to eat him up. I don't think I will make a long +call, for they grin and laugh too much, and their laughter has no +mirth in it. It is just a loud guffaw." So he only stayed a few +minutes and then went on to a beautiful white llama's cage. + +"Good morning, Miss Llama," said Billy very politely, for he +wished to get in the good graces of the beautiful Miss Llama whom +he admired very much for her long, silky, white hair and mild, +brown eyes. + +"Good morning, Mr. Whiskers," she replied. "How do you find +yourself after our Saturday night's trip?" + +"Very well," said Billy, "but I am afraid you must have had a bad +shaking up where the bridge was broken, if you had to go down +that steep embankment to cross the creek." + +"You are right; it was steep," said the llama, "and I was nearly +scared to death when I felt the water running into my cage and I +had just given myself up as lost when it commenced to recede, and +I was thrown on my knees by the cage being pulled with a jerk up +the opposite bank. How did you get across?" + +"Oh, easily! I just jumped across from one pier of the bridge to +the other," said Billy. "I met a friend of mine and we went off +and had a fine time. How I wish you could get out of that cage, +so you could go with us sometime!" + +"You don't wish it more than I do, and it always makes me weep, +when we are driven along the sweet smelling roads, to think that +I can't get out and must be shut in here for life." + +"It really is a shame, for you are too pretty to be shut in a +cage. Are you sure you can't break some of those bars some night +and get out?" + +"I am sure," said the llama, "for I have tried time and again." + +"Well, Billy Whiskers, you are the 'consarnedest' goat I ever +knew, and how in the 'dickens' you managed to break that chain is +more than I can tell," Billy and Miss Llama heard someone say +behind them and looking round they saw the animal keeper. + +"So, so; you simply pulled up the stake you were tied to when you +found you could not chew your chain in two, did you? Well, come +along with me; you have been idle long enough, and we are going +to teach you some new tricks." + +When Billy heard this his heart sank for he disliked the +ring-master and was afraid they would make him stand on his +hind-legs and walk. Had he only known it, that was the easiest +thing he would have to do. He was led to the performing ring and +there stood the hated ring-master facing a line of animals +standing in a straight line reaching from one side of the ring to +the other. In the middle stood the elephant, with the summer +house, as Billy called it, on his back; next him stood a camel; +next the camel a giraffe; next the giraffe a horse; next the +horse, a zebra, and last a little Shetland pony. On the other +side of the elephant were more animals standing in the same +order. + +"What in the world can they want of me," thought Billy, but he +soon found out for they dressed him up as a clown in a white +suit with red spots on it and tied a mask on his face and a +pointed clown's cap on his head. Then they led him to where the +pony stood and made him walk up a step ladder, onto a little +platform, strapped to the pony's back. From this he was made to +walk up another step onto a similar platform on the zebra's back; +here he was made to stop and make a bow and so on until he had +reached the little summer house on the elephant's back. This he +was made to enter and sit upright on a little seat that was +inside while the elephant started forward and walked out of the +ring carrying Billy with him. + +[Illustration] + +After this he was dressed as a workman, with a pipe in his mouth +and a hod of mortar strapped to his shoulder, and made to walk +part way round the ring on his hind legs. Then he was allowed to +rest and was given a bunch of carrots to eat. While he was +eating these Betty was brought in hitched to a little low wheeled +cart. Then a great Dane dog was brought in hitched to a similar +cart. After that a man pulled in another cart like the other two +and hitched Billy to that. The carts were painted red, white, and +blue and trimmed with flags. Soon three little dogs dressed as +ladies were carried in, put into the carts with the reins over +their necks. Then the goat, burro, and dog were put neck to neck, +ready to start on the race that was to begin when the ring-master +cracked his whip. + +At the signal the dog got started ahead, but half way around the +ring Billy passed him; the next time around, the dog was again +ahead, when slow little Betty balked in the middle of the course +and both the goat and dog ran into her upsetting the carts and +spilling out the little lady dog drivers. None of them were hurt +and the little dogs ran around stepping on their silk petticoats +and getting their hats askew, they enjoying the upset by barking +and making all the noise they could. + +"Well, boys, you want to do it better at the regular +performance," said the ring-master, as the animals were led from +the ring. + + + + +_What Billy Did on Wednesday_ + + +Wednesday, Billy was not tied up and after wandering around the +circus and visiting the different animals and stopping to chat +with Betty, he decided to watch his chance and slip into town. + +This was not hard for him to do and he soon found himself on the +main street. At first he walked quietly along looking into the +windows, but presently he saw before him a well-known figure, +that of the ring-master. + +"Now is my chance," thought Billy, "to get even with him for +giving me all those cuts with his whip. I'll just give him a butt +and land him in the middle of that mud puddle, and I am going to +do it so hard he will hear his spine crack and I guess he won't +hit me with his whip again very soon." + +So Billy started quietly on a run, going on his tiptoes so the +ring-master would not hear him until it was too late to get out +of the way. Just as Billy got to him the man raised his arm to +doff his hat to a pretty girl, and the next thing he knew he was +flying through the air with his hat in his hand. Still holding +his arm extended, he landed in the deep puddle of muddy water in +the middle of the street, while the young lady threw up her hands +and fled. + +[Illustration] + +It is needless to say that Billy immediately disappeared down a +side street. Here he ran into a livery stable where a dog fight +had been going on in the back yard. Two ferocious bull-dogs, had +fought so wickedly that their jaws had had to be pried apart. + +One of the dogs had a chain around its neck and its owner was +going to lead it off when one of the livery men saw Billy and +called out: + +"Wait a minute Mr. Pride, here's a Billy goat I bet can lick your +dog. Let us turn them loose in the yard and have another fight." + +"Why, man what are you talking about? My dog would make just one +grab at the goat's throat and kill him." + +"I am not so sure of that," replied the man, "but I am mighty +sure he will lick your dog if he is the goat I think he is, for I +believe he is the trained goat from the circus." + +"Let's have a fight," said the other men that were standing +around. "It will be great sport to see the goat lick the dog that +can whip every other dog in town." + +"So you think the goat can lick my dog, do you? I'll bet one or +all of you twenty dollars that he can't." + +"It is a go!" said two or three. Then the man that had proposed +the fight said: "It is all well enough to have a little fight for +fun but I hate to see your dog killed, as he may be." + +"Oh, don't you worry about my dog. Leave all your worrying for +the goat." + +All this time the dog had been pulling at his chain and straining +to get at the goat, while Billy quietly walked around inspecting +things, chewing anything he could find. + +"Won't I fix that conceited dog!" said Billy to himself. So he +allowed himself to be driven into the back-yard. Here the men +formed a circle with Billy in the center; then the man unfastened +the chain from the dog's neck. With a rush he went for the goat, +who quickly stood on his hind legs, lowered his head and met the +dog's onslaught with his horns, running one of them into his +chest, which sent the blood spitting out. Then the dog tried to +get behind Billy for another charge but Billy wheeled and met him +again as before and no matter which way the dog tried to approach +him, Billy was always head foremost with his long, pointed horns +sticking straight out to meet him. + +The dog was getting more and more furious at each failure and at +last he made a blind plunge at the goat, but, as before, Billy +was too quick for him and this time he sent the dog yelping back +to his master. + +"Here! what do you mean by shutting our goat up?" they heard +someone say and turning around they saw one of the men from the +circus who had been sent out to look for Billy as it was nearly +time for the performance to begin. + +"We did not shut him up. He walked in of his own accord; but you +should have been here a minute sooner and you would have seen +the prettiest fight you ever saw in your life, between your goat +and the bulliest bull-dog of the town." + +"I am sorry I did not see it; but perhaps we can have another +sometime." + +"Never!" said the dog's owner very emphatically. "I doubt if he +lives through this." + +"Well, good-bye, boys; come and see Billy Whiskers perform in the +circus this afternoon and you will see as good a performance as +fighting, and I'll give all passes who bet on him this time. + +"Billy, I would not have given much for your skin after the +ring-master got through with you if it had not been for this +fight; but now I think he will forgive you for the butt you gave +him this morning, since you whipped Mr. Pride's dog for he hates +Mr. Pride because he forbade him calling on his daughter." + +[Illustration] + + + + +_What Billy Did on Thursday_ + + +Thursday there was no performance as the circus was to break camp +and move to the next town where they were to take the train for a +large city. Here they would meet the rest of the circus which had +been divided up into small bands and sent into the country, like +the one Billy was now with. When they met in the city, all the +companies joined forces. + +The elephant told Billy to wait and see what elegant performances +they gave when they were all together. "Why!" he said, "we have +three rings with acting going on in each one at the same time, +and all the performers wear their best clothes and try their best +to outshine each other; beside we have three or four times as +many animal side-tents as we do now. + +"When we meet I will introduce you to my chum who is the oldest +and largest elephant in the circus business. He is a fine fellow +and tells a good story, and one could listen for hours to him +telling of his adventures and experiences while in the jungle and +traveling in this country. But it nearly makes him weep when he +tells of how he was once the pet elephant of a Prince of India +and how the Prince would never ride any other but himself when +hunting or riding in the royal processions. 'Only think of the +come-down,' he used to add, 'from having a Prince of the royal +blood on your back to a common circus rider in gaudy skirts! Then +my blankets and trappings were of velvet, studded with real +precious stones. Now they are velveteen with glass to imitate the +precious jewels. Oh, dear! Oh, dear! That I should ever live to +see this day.'" + +Here the elephant's conversation was cut short by someone +screaming, "Fire, fire!" + +"Where? where?" called Billy who was all excitement in a minute +and he started to run in the direction he heard the voice come +from, but alas for Billy! He forgot he was tied until he came to +the end of his rope and it gave him a quick jerk which sent him +head over heels, breaking the rope. + +"Gee whiz! I nearly broke my neck. Blame their old rope!" + +[Illustration] + +"Fire, fire, fire!" called the voice again, followed by a laugh +and Billy, looking up, saw a green poll-parrot swinging on a rope +overhead, that commenced to call: "April fool, April fool!" as +loud as she could. + +"How I do hate parrots and monkeys! I dare you to come down here, +you disagreeable, impertinent, pea-green, old maid of a bird!" +bleated Billy. + +He had hardly gotten the words out of his mouth when something +struck him on the back and began to pull his hair out by the +roots. It was Miss Polly who had dropped like a torpedo and who +was screeching, pecking and clawing him at a great rate. She was +in a bad humor that day as they had forgotten to feed her her +accustomed crackers and coffee. + +As soon as Billy got over his surprise, which was in a second, he +lay down and rolled. This knocked Polly off but the minute he +stopped she flew onto his back again and pecked him until the +blood ran. The second time she lit on his back he thought of a +way to get even. He saw the elephant's tub of water a little way +before him and with two bounds he was by its side and before Miss +Polly was aware of what was up, she found herself doused in the +tub, and when she came up from under the water there was no goat +in sight. + +As Billy went out of the tent he ran into the animal keeper who +was just coming in. + +"Ho, ho! Master Billy, not so fast. I was coming to look for you, +for we are about to start and you have a way of turning up +missing just when you are most wanted." As he said this he caught +hold of the piece of rope around Billy's neck that Billy had +broken when he took his somersault, and said: "Come along with +me. I am going to put you for once where you can't get out, no +matter how hard you bite, chew or kick." + +"I wonder what he is going to do with me," thought Billy. + +But he soon found out, for the man led him to a vacant cage that +a wild cat had died in the day before, and made him walk up an +inclined board into it. + +"Heavens!" thought Billy, "I'll never get out of here unless I +die and am carried out like the wild cat was, and if I don't die +I know I will go crazy, shut up in a little cooped up place like +this, with only room enough to take one step and not enough to +turn around unless you turn yourself in sections." + +"Well, Billy, how do you like being caged?" asked the animal +keeper. + +"Yes, you vicious beast, you, how do you like being shut up where +you can't butt and send people flying into mud-puddles and chew +up their wigs, etc.?" asked the ring-master who had joined the +animal keeper. + +"Oh, it is you, is it? Well, you just wait until I get out of +here and see where I will butt you next time, and the animal +keeper, too," bleated Billy, but neither of them understood what +he said. + +When they left him alone Billy tried every way he could think of +to break out, but he could make no impression on the iron bars, +chew as he would,--in fact, he broke one of his teeth trying. +Then he tried butting out the ends of the cage, but it was of no +use. Next he stood on his hind legs and tried to push the roof +off with his long horns, but to no effect; so he lay down tired +and broken-hearted on the hard bottom of the cage and gave +himself up to the blues. + +He was lying there quietly, apparently asleep, when a man brought +him a bundle of hay to eat, a bucket of water to drink and a +pitch-fork of straw to lie on. + +Billy did not move when they brought the things, pretending to be +asleep, but he was rudely awakened out of his supposed sleep by +the man sticking the prongs of the pitch-fork into him to make +him get up so he could spread the straw on the bottom of the +cage. He felt too disheartened to eat, especially food which he +detested, but thought he would take a drink as he was very +thirsty, but at one smell of the bucket he turned up his +aristocratic nose for he detected the bucket had not been washed +since it had been used by some of the other animals for he could +smell and see their hairs on the rim; so he lay down more +disgusted than ever. Poor Billy's confinement was going to be +hard for him. He had roamed the fields and towns, master of +himself, too long to take to being shut up easily. + +At last Billy fell asleep and only awakened when they hitched the +horses to the wagon-like cage he was in to draw it to the depot. +Just before they started he heard a man say: "Here, you forgot to +put up the sides on that cage with the goat in." + +Then the man brought wooden sides and fastened them onto the cage +over the iron bars. This left Billy only a little iron barred +opening near the top, at one side, to get air through. + +"I shall surely smother," thought Billy. "Oh, this is horrible! I +feel as if I were buried alive." + +At that minute the horses started up and poor Billy went down on +his knees with a sudden jerk. + +"How I wish Nanny was here to comfort me," thought Billy. "She +was always so patient and cheerful." How like a man that was for +Billy to forget all about Nanny while he was free and having a +good time, but the minute he was in trouble to think of her and +be willing to have her shut up if he could only see her. + +After several hours of hard traveling they stopped, and Billy +knew they must be at the depot for he heard the engines whistling +and the bells ringing, and he was very glad of it for his knees +were all skinned from slipping on the floor from one end of the +cage to the other when they went up or down hill, for it was +impossible to stand, so he had to lay down and make the best of +it. + +"I never pitied caged animals before," thought Billy, "but I did +not know what they had to endure or I should." + +After a great deal of commotion, swearing and fussing on the part +of the men outside, Billy's cage was at last on board and the +train started. + +"Mercy!" thought Billy, "aren't they going to give me a drink of +water or something fresh and cool to eat? Do they expect me to +eat that dried up, tasteless, weedy hay this hot day; and as for +the water, that got upset the first hill we went up. Oh, dear! +and to add to the rest of my troubles I have got a cinder in my +eye, along with this horrible dust that is blowing in that stuffy +little window and I know I am going to be smothered to death. Oh, +if Nanny were only here, to lick this cinder out of my eye! It +smarts so I wish I had hands instead of feet for once in my life +so I could get it out. I wonder if people ever think how +inconvenient it is not to have hands sometimes." + +And poor old Billy commenced to cry softly to himself. It was a +good thing he did for he soon cried the cinder out and when his +eye stopped hurting, he got some of his spunk back again and +began to plan some way of getting out of his cage. + +At twelve o'clock at night they reached the city and were driven +through the silent streets to a vacant lot where all the circus +bands were to meet. And here I will leave Billy until next +morning. + +[Illustration] + + + + +_What Billy Did on Friday_ + + +When Billy's little band of circus people joined the others they +found everything in order as they were the last company of the +six traveling bands to join the main one. + +There was one huge tent with three rings in it where the +performances would be given; opening into this was another large +one where the animals were exhibited and branching out of this +were three others,--one where the horses and ponies were kept; +another used as the dressing room, and still another where the +circus people took their meals, while scattered around were ten +or a dozen side-shows. + +The cage Billy was in had hardly been put in place when the sides +were taken off and he found himself in the large animal tent with +the cages arranged round the edge and his old friend the +elephant tethered just outside with the other elephants from the +different bands, and his elephant friend was talking to his chum, +the elephant he had told Billy about, that told such good +stories. Billy thought he must be telling one now for they were +both laughing, but you might have thought they were trumpeting +had you heard them. + +Billy bleated to the elephant and he raised his head and looked +in all directions to see where Billy was but he could not see +him, until Billy told him where to look. + +"Goodness gracious me! Is that you, Mr. Billy, shut up in that +cage? I never expected to see you in a place like that." + +"Neither did I ever expect to find myself in one like this," +Billy answered, "and what is more, I would rather be dead than +stay here. But I will get out yet, don't you fear." + +"I bet you do, Mr. Whiskers, for you are a good one at getting +out of scrapes as well as getting into them. Let me introduce you +to my friend and chum, Prince Nan-ka-poo, as he is called on the +show bill." + +After the introduction Billy's friend said: "Don't look so down +hearted. I will get the Prince to tell us one of his funny +stories so we can have a good laugh. He has just been telling me +a capital one." + +But before he had time to tell it a man came along with a hose +and began to wash out Billy's cage and souse him with water, +squirting it in his eyes just to tease him, which Billy thought +was a little too much as it was like kicking a fellow when he was +down and could not help himself. + +"Just wait, Mr. Man with the hose, until I meet you when I get +out of here, and if I don't make your body ache, then my name is +not Billy Whiskers. I am going to give you a butt and hook that +will send you half way up a telegraph pole!" + +While he was fuming about this, another man came along and gave +him a nice, cool drink, and as he saw he had not eaten any of the +hay he gave him a bunch of carrots and a bundle of nice grass. +This Billy appreciated and said to himself: "That's a nice man. +I'll do him a favor some time if I ever get the chance." + +Billy had not stopped eating when a man came along with a bucket +in his hand with something black in it and a large flat brush. +When he got to Billy's cage he commenced to unlock the door and +to Billy's surprise he climbed in and shut the door after him. + +"Well, I wonder what is up now," thought Billy. + +"I don't want to interrupt your breakfast, Master Billy, but this +job has to be done before the circus begins this morning. Just +go on eating while I turn you from an ordinary white goat into a +black one. Hereafter you are to be known as the wild goat with +three horns from Guinea. If you don't believe me, read the +printed sign outside tacked to your cage, but do not be alarmed, +this black stuff is not paint and it will wash off easily, for it +is only charcoal and some other mixture. You see our black goat +died and as we have it advertised, we are going to fix you up to +represent it and the people won't know the difference for the +public are easily fooled. And for your third horn--this came off +of a Mexican steer." + +The man took from his pocket a long horn and glued it onto +Billy's head between his other horns, only with the curved point +forward instead of backward. How Billy wished for a mirror to see +himself when the man had finished! + +"I must look like Satan, Mr. Windlass's goat," thought Billy. + +Billy did not get fixed any too soon for the people now began to +crowd into the circus to see the animals before the performances +commenced and they passed around the ring before the animals' +cages, talking and giving them peanuts, pop-corn and apples. He +heard some one say when in front of his cage: + +"Oh, my! Look at this queer looking goat with three horns--don't +he look fierce?" + +[Illustration: "OH, MY! LOOK AT THIS QUEER-LOOKING GOAT WITH +THREE HORNS. DON'T HE LOOK FIERCE?"] + +"Let's read the card on his cage and see what it says about him. +It says he was caught in the mountains of Guinea and that he is +very ferocious. He looks it, doesn't he? How would you like to +have him hook you?" Billy heard one little boy say to another. +"Isn't this funny, the card says he kills his prey with his two +sharp pointed horns and then hooks the other one into his prey +and carries it off." + +"Is that what the card says? Well, if that isn't the biggest lie +I ever heard!" thought Billy. "I'll bet the ring-master made that +up, like the one about my being an astrologer. Oh, he is a dandy, +he is! But when I come to think of it, I don't mind if they do +fool the people, if they are so easily gulled as that; and I +guess I will help them carry it out by behaving fierce and +kicking around when anyone looks into my cage." + +After the people had all passed into the main tent, the wind +began to blow a perfect hurricane and the rain came down in +sheets while one peal of thunder followed another in such quick +succession that one would hardly have time to die away before +another was upon it; rolling and booming like heavy pieces of +artillery. The lightning was so vivid and bright that it made +Billy wink at every flash. + +Presently a fiercer, stronger volume of wind hit the big tent and +it collapsed burying all the people under it, while the same gust +swept on and picked up the tent Billy was sheltered in and +carried it off, upsetting cage after cage of animals as it flew +up and soared over their heads. + +Billy's cage was among those upset, but before it went over the +wind picked it up, carried it a few feet and then dropped it, +smashing in the wooden side and setting Billy free. For once the +old saying came true: "That it is an ill wind that blows nobody +any good." With a swish of his stubby tail Billy was off down a +side street, and as he ran he could hear above the peals of the +thunder and the rushing of the wind, the lions roaring and the +elephants trumpeting for fear amid the confusion and excitement +of the collapsed tents,--the circus that Billy had escaped from +for good. + + + + +_Billy Finds Nanny_ + + +As Billy trotted down the side street, the cyclone still raged +and blew loose boards and papers in every direction, but he kept +on until he found himself out of the town and on the high road. + +"Why, how good it seems to get away from the smelly old circus +and be free again. Who cares for the wind and weather when one is +free? This rain will wash the black stuff off my coat that circus +fellow put on; and now I think of it, I'll just walk up to that +board fence and butt off this old horn that they glued to my +head: that will be the end of the Wild Goat from Guinea." + +Suiting the action to the words, he walked up to the fence and +hooked the curved part of the horn over the rail, pulled back, +and the horn came off easily without pulling out any hair as the +rain had softened the glue. As it fell inside the fence, Billy +kicked up his heels, whisked his stubby tail, and started down +the road at a fast trot. As he ran, he made up his mind he would +find Nanny once more, even if he had to spend the rest of his +life looking for her. You know from past experience that if Billy +made up his mind to do a thing, that he did it; for Billy's +strong points were bravery, perseverance and stick-to-ativeness. +These are good qualities for boys and girls to have as well as +goats. + +It was a good thing that Billy had these qualities, or he never +would have found Nanny again. For one whole month he hunted for +her, going up one road and down another, being stoned by boys and +chased by men as he tried to steal a meal out of their gardens. +Some times he wandered into a yard to get something to eat, and +they set the dogs on him, but this they always wished they had +not done, for he invariably turned and ripped the dogs open with +his long horns. + +In this way he traveled, sleeping by the wayside in all kinds of +weather, until even he was beginning to get discouraged. When one +day he happened on a road that looked familiar to him, and the +further he traveled, the more familiar it became, until he came +to a bridge with a red house beside it. Then he knew where he +was for he recognized the house and the scenery around as the +place where the bridge had broken down when the elephant had +attempted to cross it. His joy knew no bounds for now all he had +to do to get to Nanny was to follow this road to the town and +then take another to the other side of town which would lead him +to his little wife Nanny. + +When he thought of dear, patient, little Nanny, a tear rolled +down his cheek; but he shook it off in a hurry for the next +minute the thought came to him, what if Nanny had given him up as +lost and married another? The thought made him mad; and for three +or four miles he ran like a steam-engine, snorting with rage as +he went, and vowing to himself that if it were so, he would split +her new husband open with his long horns, as he had the dogs he +had met by the way. + +In the meantime, while Billy had been away, poor, lonely, little +Nanny had never forgotten her old Billy, though all the young +Billy Goats in the herd tried to make her do so, and each and all +had wanted her to marry them, but she said "no" and remained +faithful to her Billy. + +She had one thing to comfort her however, and that was two +beautiful little Kids that had been born to her some time after +the circus-man had taken Billy away. With these she spent all her +time, and they repaid it by being very fond of her; and it was a +beautiful sight to see the three playing together in the green +meadow down by the stream. + +So Billy thought the next day, when, after traveling all night, +he at last came to the farm and looking through the fence saw +Nanny lying in the grass with the two little kids jumping over +her and kissing her nose. + +"Two very fine looking kids," thought Billy. "I wonder whose they +are." + +Then his old heart stood still for his next thought was: "She has +forgotten me, is married again and these are her children." + +This thought made him feel sick and faint, and his knees shook +under him, so he dropped on the grass with his nose through the +rails of the fence, and there he lay for a long while, but he +never took his eyes off the three in the pasture. + +"I will lie here and see if it is so," thought Billy, "and if it +is, I will go away and never let her know that I came back." + +As he looked, old Satan, the minister that had married them, came +up to speak to Nanny, and Billy felt his blood beginning to boil +for he thought: + +"If she is married to that old widower, and I am afraid she is, +for one of those kids is as black as Satan himself, I can't stand +it! I shall stay to make myself known just long enough to kill +him." + +Soon, however, Satan walked off, as it was getting dark, and the +goats began to find cozy places for themselves for the night. But +Billy lay still and watched, though he was very thirsty and +hungry, not having eaten anything all day, as he had been too +anxious to get back to see if Nanny was married again. + +He watched her wash the kids' little faces for the night with her +soft tongue and give them a good-night kiss on their little noses +before they cuddled down to sleep beside her. It made Billy groan +with lonesomeness to see it all, and he lay there broken in +spirit and wished he could die, and closed his eyes to shut out +the sight. + +But he could not keep them closed. He had to open them to look +once more on Nanny's sweet, patient face. As he did so, he +noticed that the moon was just rising; and as it came up, Nanny +rose also and stepping carefully so as not to waken her babies, +she walked toward the fence where Billy was. + +Closer and closer she came with her pretty, sweet face showing +plainly in the moonlight. Billy scarcely breathed, he was so +excited, wondering if she would recognize him, and what she would +say when she saw him. + +She came straight to the fence and stuck her nose through the +rail just above Billy's head before she saw him. + +When she did, her eyes dilated with surprise, and then with a +bleat of joy, she called: + +"Billy! My Billy! Have you come back!" And she commenced to cry +as if her heart would break for joy. + +No words can express Billy's joy when he felt her tears on his +face and her warm nose kissing his cold one, and all Billy could +say was, "My darling, you are not married to Satan after all, are +you?" + +This made Nanny laugh and she called him a silly, old goose. + +But what was the matter with Billy? He felt as strong and young +as Nanny herself, and had forgotten his thirst and weariness of a +few moments ago. Being only a goat, he did not know that +happiness is the greatest elixir of life yet discovered. + +"Wait a second, Nanny. I can't have this old fence between us," +and Billy backed off, gave a spring and was over the fence beside +Nanny in no time. + +[Illustration] + +"Oh! Billy, how good it seems to have you back again. Now I have +a great surprise for you. Come and see our two beautiful +children. One is as white as snow and her I call Day. The other +is as black as a coal, and him I call Night. They are twins, and +two smarter, healthier kids you never saw. + +"Night is very mischievous and reminds me of you all the time. +Ever since you have been gone, I have walked to the fence every +night and looked and waited for you to come back and it nearly +broke my heart when night after night went by and you did not +come." + +Billy and Nanny walked over to where their babies were, and Billy +assured her that they were the most beautiful kids his eyes had +ever rested on, and he felt himself swelling with pride as the +father of such handsome kids. + +Nanny led Billy to the stream and while he was quenching his +thirst and eating a little of the sweet grass and mint that grew +on its bank, they told each other all that had happened since +they parted. + +I will leave Billy and Nanny here, and my next book will be about +Day and Night, Billy and Nanny's kids. + +THE END. + +[Illustration] + + * * * * * + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Billy Whiskers, by Frances Trego Montgomery + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY WHISKERS *** + +***** This file should be named 19167.txt or 19167.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/1/6/19167/ + +Produced by Brian Janes, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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